Metamorphosis
by SpazztastiKim
Summary: A one word prompt from an anonymous suggester! After having quite a few months of regular ghost hunting something goes wrong and Danny is attacked, now he finds it's only going to get worse unless he can find where all of this madness is coming from. This is complete garbage and I kiiiiinda abandoned it? I'm still keeping it up here so peeps can tear this sucker to shreds omg.
1. Chapter 1

Danny Fenton huffed in disappointment as he stared out his window, trying his hardest at avoiding his homework. Luckily, despite it being his worst class, math, he was catching up to it to a point where he didn't struggle nearly as much as he did freshman year. Sam and Tucker did their best at helping him with his studies, but his sister was far harder on him. In this case, he was actually glad his sister was a bit tougher and less lenient that his best friends. It was a slow day to be sure. Also unlike his freshman year, he was on good terms with most of the ghosts that caused trouble. They stopped picking on his town and him as soon as he became a little more assertive; again, thanks to his sister's advice. It also helped that his mom took it upon herself to begin training him in martial arts as well. He zoned out, remembering the first time his mother suggested it to him. He was exhausted most of the time and tried to keep his problems and struggles to himself as to not bother his friends and family. Oddly enough, his father noticed first. Usually lost in his own little world inventing new ways to catch ghosts and some safer ways thanks to Jazz's subtle suggestions, Danny expected his dad to stay oblivious, but, apparently, Jack was guilty of doing similar things in his college days. He was the one to suggest his wife Maddie to train their sun.

Danny enjoyed every second fighting his mom in training. He preferred it that way to be sure. Compared to fighting for his life, and after life against his mother, training was far more profitable. Well, it's not like Phantom caused much trouble in his later years to begin with; he was definitely more "in the shadows" about his actions than before.

"Danny?" There came a soft knock, matching his sister's voice at his bedroom door.

"You're clear, Jazz." Danny replied, not turning from his view of the street. She opened his door and sighed, seeing his slumped over position.

"Struggling again?" She asked, perching at the end of his bed. Danny shrugged hopelessly.

"Struggling to stay focused, yes." He grumbled. "I keep zoning out and it's driving me nuts."

"You do your training with mom?" Jazz asked, obviously knowing he was feeling cooped up again. He got like this when there wasn't much activity around town, or around the house. What with the regulars of ghosts and hunters calming down, she couldn't blame him. Three years ago, Danny could hardly get any time to do anything else but hunt ghosts and protect himself from being hunted. He'd gotten very used to the activity, and then he handled himself and others better so quickly he'd need to adapt again.

"Yeah, she got me again." Danny laughed "Don't think I'll ever beat mom and sparring." He huffed with good humor. "She's even incorporating weapons with our matches and it's making it even more difficult." The genuine smile on his face relaxed Jazz a bit. Danny noticed. It wasn't at all difficult to know Jazz worried about him. She always worried; almost to a point where he wondered if his parents caught on to his secret. They never let their kids know, but Danny had a feeling as soon as they started worrying about the effects their weapons had on ghosts, and how long they lasted. He didn't say anything, and neither did Jazz, so Danny just let it be for now. All he wanted to do was make sure he could graduate along side his friends.

"How about training with Tucker and Sam?" Jazz asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Haven't been able to really hang out with them." He replied sadly "We've all been focusing on getting stuff done in time for Finals this December." He stretched his back a little before scratching through his raven hair. "Maybe we could use some leisure time and then train for a little bit." He fumbled around with his items on his desk to find his phone. "You wanna tag along?" He suggested, watching his sister get up.

"Thanks little brother, but I'm gonna have to start packing again. The new apartment is looking great so far." She grinned before walking out. Danny was oddly proud, but kind of sad that Jazz decided to stay in town for her college. She had access to some of the top colleges in the country and yet she decided to stay here to be closer to Danny and their parents. He sort of felt bad, and wondered if she gave up her dream jobs and future just to keep an eye on him. They spoke about it many times before and she assured him she'd rather help around her home than go to a place that had little psychology recourses. Danny had his doubts still, but decided against arguing with his older sister. Danny found his phone and dialed up Sam.

"Hey, Danny!" She always threw him off a little with her chipper attitude when she was on the phone.

"Hey, Sam. You free a little from now?" He asked casually, still focusing on the people wandering his home street as the sun began to set.

"I'm never free, Danny." He could hear the grin in her voice "Some of this studying is murder, and not in a good way." Danny snickered.

"I was just thinking of taking a leisure time…" He paused, glaring at the three math problems he had left "Or just leisure day since you aren't wrong about the murder homework." He huffed rubbing his forehead.

"Wonder if Tucker's having the same problems." Sam thought out loud. "I'll give him a buzz and update you when I get there. I'm pretty much done tonight, and we always have tomorrow and Sunday to finish up." There was a rustling noise and Danny figured Sam was getting ready to head to Fenton Works.

"Alright, see you in a bit Sam." Danny stood up himself and rolled his shoulders.

"See ya." Sam replied before a small beep announced her ending the call. Danny rocked his head side to side, stretching out his stiff neck. He let out a deep breath and stared out the evening window one more time before heading out of his room and down the stairs. His father and mother were at the kitchen table fiddling with another device.

"Hi, sweetie." His mother chirped, looking up from the new ghost toy.

"Hey, mom. Sam and I are going to hang out for a bit, if that's okay. Tucker's probably going to come too." His parents nodded, smiling.

"Jazz told us." His dad smiled. Danny let out a small laugh

"Oh man, what am I gonna do when she's out of the house and in her own apartment?" Maddie let out a giggle

"You'll do just fine, Danny." She went back to fixing up the new invention. "She just loves looking out for you. That's all."

"She's right, son!" Jack bellowed "You're going to be fine. You can handle yourself." Danny chuckled, grateful of his parent's faith in him.

"Thanks." He said softly. The door bell rang and Danny went to answer. "See you guys in a bit."

"Text us when you head home." His mother announced.

"Yes, ma'am." Danny waved. He answered the door and his feeling of being cooped up quickly vanished seeing his two, tired, best friends waiting for him on the porch.

"Evening, Danny." Tucker smiled giving a wave.

"Hey guys." Danny chirped, similarly to the way his mom does. "Glad you both could make it." Tucker shrugged

"I needed a break from homework, badly." Tucker groaned. The three stepped away from the door and flopped on the steps in front of Danny's house "They're hammering us so much this month. It's like they're making up for the lost time during Winter Break." He pulled out his PDA and fiddled with the calendar app. "It sure fits the bill anyway." He grumbled, gently placing his PDA on his lap.

"It sure feels that way." Danny sighed "Mr. Lancer still isn't letting up when it comes to tutoring. You'd think he'd get tired of me by now." Danny put on a pout and rested his chin on his hand.

"You know by now Mr. Lancer thinks the world of you." Sam smirked "He'll never let up as long as he knows how far you'd go. You push yourself in school work almost as much as you do at ghosts." Danny gave off a facetious huff. "I'm not wrong." Sam elbowed him playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. School aside." He stared at his two best friends, begging them to change the subject. "What do you wanna do? It's going to be pretty dark soon."

"We could hit the arcade." Sam suggested

"So you can kick our butts to oblivion." Tucker barked "No thank you."

"Sore." Sam grinned

"Very." Tucker huffed, causing Danny to laugh a bit.

"We could just chill around the park." Danny tried "We haven't done that in a while, and!" He jutted his pointer finger in the air "It's more than likely the only ghost we'll run into is the Box Ghost." He stated with an enthusiastic grin.

"No joke that most of our usual bothers are pretty chill." Tucker relaxed a bit, shifting his weight to he could lay, albeit awkwardly, across the steps.

"I'm actually pretty happy about that." Danny admitted "They've been helping a bit charting the Ghost Zone too. Oddly enough it's more Skulker than Clockwork."

"Skulker!?" Tucker and Jazz asked in high pitched unison. Danny let out a full laugh at their shock. It was equal to his own when Skulker started telling him about the areas he knew after their regular game of deadly tag. He stopped Skulker to grab a little notebook he started carrying with him. Skulker seemed amused at the action and added to Danny's notes, giving the boy more excuses to come visit him whenever he got the chance. It seemed the other ghost was amused and enjoyed the challenges of the young halfa when it came to the terrain and details of the Ghost Zone. It also supplied Danny with some more combat experience as a ghost to equal the training he was getting from his mother.

"Yeah, Skulker." Danny affirmed after catching his breath. "He seems to like the idea of me giving him more of a challenge." Sam and Tucker nodded in agreement; it completely made more sense than Skulker helping Danny out of the goodness of his own ghostly heart.

"Wanna just wander around the Ghost Zone then?" Sam suggested giving a small shrug.

"Nah, Walker may not be as… Annoying as before." Danny grumbled "But he still doesn't like ghosts wandering around, even if they have a place they need to be. If we wind up in his territory we're busted… Again." Danny added with a growl. Despite most of his so-called enemies, some were less than tolerable, but didn't cause trouble around Danny's home as long as they weren't bothered.

"We could give Frost Bite a visit." Tucker gave Danny a nudge.

"Maybe, but he seems busy, and they still…" Danny laughed in embarrassment "They're still not a huge fan of my ice powers." He winked and shrugged bashfully, remembering his training. He's gotten incredible when it came to his ice powers but there are still times when his emotions get the better of him and he'd rather not let his enthusiasm get in the way of Frost Bite.

"Nasty Burger?" Tucker asked. Danny gave a shrug and looked to Sam, who mimicked his action.

"I already ate dinner, but I could go for a smoothie." Danny said, standing up, offering his arms to help his friends up.

"Smoothie sounds good." Sam smiled accepting Danny's help. Tucker popped up without a hitch.

"I'm still hungry! My mom and dad are great cooks but MAN they don't cook nearly enough to fill me up unless it's a holiday." He bounced a little in his walk waiting for Danny and Sam to catch up; still holding each other's hands. He raised an amused eyebrow.

"Thought you guys talked about a break?" He teased

"We are, kinda." They answered in unison.

"Just because we aren't 'dating'" Danny emphasized the word "Doesn't mean we don't want to, you know," He lifted their clasped hands "Keep in touch. OW!" Sam pinched his side with her other hand.

"To encourage you more." Tucker stated with a smug expression "Boo." Danny laughed as Sam reached to take off one of her combat boots and Tucker took off like a bullet.

"Seriously, Sam." Danny started, making sure Sam made eye contact with him as they walked. "You're okay with this?" Danny was unsure about his feelings towards anyone since both women and men started flirting with him. And, while he enjoyed the flirting to an extent, he still just wanted what he had with Sam. Hands held, light kisses and cuddles was all he needed. Though he did enjoy Sam being very touchy every once in a while, he didn't feel comfortable going any further. Her hand squeezed his.

"Of course I'm okay, Danny." She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I would tell you otherwise." He smiled, blushing a little.

"What if-" Sam stopped him by grabbing his face. "Danny, you're fine." He loved hearing that, and she knew it. "We get there when we get there." She smiled ruffling his raven hair. Danny relaxed a little and held her wrists.

"Thanks Sam." He whispered; she returned his gratitude with another soft kiss. She gripped his hand and urged him forward.

"Come on you two. I'm starving." Tucker whined in front of the Nasty Burger.

"You're always starving." Danny rolled his eyes

"That's beside the point." Tucker crossed his arms "Hurry up." He grinned

"Yeah, yeah." Sam droned. They walked in, spotted an empty booth and parked, debating on what smoothie, and in Tucker's case what NOT to get.

"Strawberry banana sounds fantastic right now." Danny leaned back, letting himself just drape on the booth seat. "I'm too tired to think of anything else." Tucker moved to get out of his spot across from his best friend.

"What about you Sam?"

"Kiwi strawberry please." She answered. Tucker went to the front to order, leaving the two 'love birds' as he called them, to chat a little while waiting.

The Nasty Burger was in an alright state when it came to the amount of customers. The sun may have been setting pretty early, but it was only six in the evening and Danny and his family ate pretty early since the parents liked to get up early to start working. It was filled with soft tones and an occasional noise of food or it's wrappings being moved around. Danny enjoyed the heck out of hearing these, as much as he did hearing people chatting and walking around the city, or taking a stroll around the park.

"You okay, Danny?" Sam asked, pulling him out of his zoned out state.

"Yeah," Danny replied a bit suddenly "Just been zoning out lately. Jazz figured I should just take a break from school work and chill." He shrugged "Can't really chill without you two around." Tucker came up with their smoothies and his large meal.

"Awe. That's sweet of you dude." He teased before shoving a burger in his mouth. Danny and Sam handed him what the owed and he stuffed them in his wallet, all the while still shoving the burger. He hummed a bit and swallowed his bite.

"You handling math okay?" He asked Danny as he was taking a sip.

"Yeah, it's still annoying, but not to a point where I want to burn my math book." Danny replied with a smirk.

"That's good to hear, what about History?" Sam questioned. Danny let out a dramatic whine

"I wanted a break from schoolwork Sam." He flopped his head back against the cushion of the seat. Tucker laughed. "It's fine, boring right now, but fine." Sam nodded sagely.

"Yeah, I'm pretty bored in that class too. I wish Lancer would move on from the politics of the World War that he's been going over for the last two months…" She glared off into the distance. Danny let out an amused snicker only to see and feel the mist alerting him of a spirit nearby.

"Uh-oh." He braced himself for some nearby screams, but when they didn't come he stood to investigate, his friends right behind him. They left the Nasty Burger and went into its parking lot in the back where they found, shockingly enough, Vlad fighting off an unfamiliar ghost. Danny transformed in a literal flash and came between the two of them, forcing them apart. The unfamiliar ghost must have recognized him, or saw the fight as over and hissed in fright, darting away from the two halfas. Plasmius let out a sigh and changed back into his human form. Danny stayed as Phantom and stared, suspiciously at his town's mayor.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Masters…" Danny said cautiously, noticing a small crowd gathering around them. Vlad covered his face in relief and dragged it down in exasperation.

"Hello, Phantom." He gave a tired smirk. "Thank you." Danny settled down to his feet, still cautious.

"Might I ask what _that_ …" he waved in the direction of the ghost's previous position. "was?" Vlad brushed off his tightly fit suit jacket and adjusted his collar.

"An unfortunate encounter, I'm afraid." He answered simply, shooting a glance in the direction of the small gathering gaining growth. Some were taking pictures of their hero and mayor, chattering excitedly. Danny took note of the stern look on Vlad's face, practically stating 'I'll tell you in a more private place.' Danny nodded, keeping his voice low.

"I'll give you a little visit tomorrow." Danny took off and went invisible, hearing the gasps and cheers of his little audience. He spun right around and transformed out of view. He looked up from his hiding place to see Vlad cheerily talking with some of the group that happened to be the press. Sam spotted him and dragged Tucker with her, he left his little hiding spot and met up with him.

"What was that?" Tucker asked, glancing over at the small group of questioners gathering around the mayor. Danny rolled his shoulder, doubling as a shrug.

"I'm bothering him tomorrow about it." He glanced at Vlad's calm demeanor, but he saw the stiffness behind his façade. Danny recognized it from the many times Vlad was stopped from getting somewhere important with something he was planning. He saw that fake calmness many times, and took a sort of cruel enjoyment poking at the man to see if he'd lose his temper.

Danny hated to admit it, but Vlad's vigilance and patience with Danny's father when they teamed up, did wonders on the activity of angry spirits. He began wondering if Vlad struck a deal of some sort and started to expect some sort of back fire. But, when the calmness lasted more than a year, Danny's wariness diminished.

"When you going to do that?" Sam had her arms crossed and she tapped her foot a little.

"I think in the early morning, I'm going to try to make it short…" Danny crossed his own arms and sighed. "No guarantees though."

"You going as Phantom or Fenton?" Tucker asked tilting his head

"Fenton, draw less attention that way, plus people kind of expect to see me around there anyways since he works with Mom and Dad." Danny shrugged.

"I'm going to text you in the morning." Sam announced sternly "You better keep your guard up, just in case." She huffed, like Danny and Jazz she still didn't fully trust the man, but she gave him some slack since she was noticing Danny being able to focus more on school and sociality than ghosts.

"You going to baby sit me?" Danny had his eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Yes, I am. I don't like that a random ghost showed up and Vlad was right there with it. I'm suspicious." Sam held her head up and stared at Danny with an unamused expression.

"I never noticed." Tucker mused. "Still, keep us in the know will ya? You were kinda glaring at him more than usual."

"I was glaring?" Danny asked, genuine confusion settled on his face.

"Must be a reflex." Sam offered with a smirk.

The rest of the night went well, with hardly an interruption, aside from the usual ghosts that basically just hang around. Danny could see them, but everyone else just felt an occasional cold spell or heard something they couldn't find. Danny knew those were involuntary for the ghosts. Since most people in the town were accustomed to the idea of ghosts being around, they could simply just sense their presence due to prolonged exposure. They took to their separate ways, Danny walking both his friends to their doors, purely by habit. They remained in contact by online gaming and stayed up pretty late just goofing off in game; not even paying attention to the campaign. They just went and trolled the younger gamers, mainly the dorks that took the game too seriously or harassed other players in a way the trio knew were inappropriate. They recognized a freshman from how he excitedly chatted about the game in the library; gave him a few tips, then continued to goof off.

"Oof!" Danny landed on his bed, causing his pillow to flip and land on his face. He decided against caring; his light was out, computer was off and he practically dove into his pajamas right when he got to his room.

"Daniel." Plasmius's voice made Danny shriek and flail out of bed.

"Dude, ever heard of knocking?!" He barked, untangling himself from his blankets. He stood up and glared at Plasmius, but didn't feel it necessary to transform into his ghost half. If Plasmius tried anything Danny had a wide arrangement of weapons at his disposal, and Vlad knew it. Plasmius gave off an amused smirk, like he usually gives when startling Danny.

"Apologies my dear boy." He snickered "But I'm afraid this news cannot wait until later." Danny glanced over at his clock reading four a.m. and gave Plasmius an irritated look.

"Make it as quick as possible, Plasmius." He huffed impatiently. His somewhat adversary's grin widened as he snagged Danny by the arm, making them both intangible and dragged him to the lab. Danny landed har on his rump and glared daggers, making Vlad burst out laughing.

"That was highly unnecessary." Danny barked, jumping to his feet, landing a kick to Vlad's side. His adversary nearly doubled over, but gave an impressed grin. "Unnecessary it may be, Daniel, however it was highly entertaining." He transformed back into his human self wincing at the pain from Danny's strike. "Your fighting skills have improved." He stated, re-adjusting his shirt. Danny went into a defensive pose.

"Are you here to tell me what was up with that ghost attack? Or are we just kicking each other, reminiscing of the good 'ol days?" His voice was a little more threatening than he intended, but it got the message across and Vlad put his hands up in surrender.

"Oh, relax, dear boy. I didn't come here to fight you." He winked one eye closed "The startling you part was just for good measure."

"Twice. So that means I can kick you again." Danny growled. Vlad put his arms down and stared, sternly at the young man before him.

"While this game is enjoyable, we must get to the problem at hand, Daniel." Vlad's serious stature insured Danny that he wouldn't be attacking any time soon. Danny stood up straight.

"What problem at hand, Plasmius?" His voice monotone.

"There is another reason the ghosts have become less active." Vlad started, Danny rolled his eyes.

"Oh boy, here we go." He grumbled. Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"There seems to be an imbalance between our dimensions, Daniel, and the ghosts have taken notice." Danny crossed his arms at Vlad's comments

"If it was anything too bad, Clockwork would have notified me of it." He spoke with annoyance. Vlad nodded.

"If it effected time, he would have. This problem, Daniel, is with inter-dimensional space." He stated matter-of-factly. "Clockwork has no power over this. Believe me; I've asked him." Danny gawked

"YOU talked with Clockwork?!" He let out a laugh "How did that one go?" He snorted. Vlad was unamused and waited patiently for Danny's laughing fit to end.

"It went rather poorly. I was hoping he had at least a small solution to this problem, but he did not. Merely shook his head and stated his lack of power over space." Danny wiped his left eye, registering what Vlad had just told him.

"So…" Danny started "Wait, he can only observe space? I thought he could effect it too." Danny crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. Vlad was once again amused with Danny's actions.

"Time and space are different concepts Daniel. I'm surprised you haven't furthered your studies in quantum physics." He sneered, making Danny glare at him again.

"I have Finals to study for, Vlad…" He growled the man's name "I don't have time to work on theoretical fields of study."

"You have access to another dimension and yet you say quantum physics is theoretical?" He laughed, causing Danny to blush slightly at his teasing.

"Most of quantum physics theories are unproven theories with virtually no way of testing." He defended "So, yes. By definition it is a theoretical field." He growled, but composed himself "What's going on with this imbalance, as you call it, between here and the ghost zone?" He crossed his arms and leaned on a nearby table.

"You are aware of the natural portals between these dimensions, yes?" Vlad quizzed causing Danny to groan impatiently.

"Yes, yes, Frost Bite told me about them before you stole the Infamap." He growled. Vlad nodded.

"These portals have a pattern to when they are open and when they close. Most mishaps with these portals are just that, mishaps of humans and ghosts being at the wrong place at the wrong time." Danny nodded impatiently, knowing when Vlad started explaining something there was no stopping him from going on a blabbering spree. 'and he says Dad blathers' Danny mused to himself

"For some unexplained reason the portals are malfunctioning in a way." He paused obviously trying to find the correct words. "They are appearing away from the set pattern and have not given full access to the sister dimension." Danny straightened and gave Vlad a concerned look. Vlad gave another nod.

"As you're suspecting, Daniel, they are behaving like the portals your parents built. Most ghosts effected by the portal could no longer maintain their form." 'Like Kitty…' Danny thought. "Luckily no humans have been exposed to the rogue portals, but there was no way of helping the ghosts." Danny had an involuntary shiver creep up his spine. "The ghost you saw me fighting was one of the few that made it through the portal in tact, but I'm afraid it's mentality and any semblance of self was lost. It began tormenting some people in the parks, but I managed to chase it off. It behaved like a cornered animal and returned the attack, but why it hissed and fled when seeing you, is beyond me." Vlad set his gaze on Danny, who was mulling over the facts that were just dumped on him.

"I'd like to have a word with Clockwork and Frostbite if that's okay with you." Danny didn't look up, not really caring if Vlad was okay with his plan, he was going to do it anyways. "I know the natural portals can go through time and space, maybe this has happened before, and they could, collectively help with the solution." Danny looked up at Vlad, expecting a cold stare of disapproval, but instead saw a shocked expression. Apparently he hadn't thought of that approach yet. Danny grinned.

"Just because I haven't furthered my studies, doesn't mean I don't know anything." He smirked. Vlad's expression fell to that of dull annoyance. Danny then suddenly thought of something. "Why are you telling me all this?" Vlad let out a humored huff.

"You asked, and because you are the only one, aside from myself, that belongs in both worlds. That I've had contact with anyways." Danny raised an eyebrow

"There's more halfas?"

"Theoretically there could be." Vlad leaned against the portal next to Danny. "With the human race expanding it's knowledge with the paranormal, there could be more people exposed to the same experience." He shrugged nonchalantly. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he enjoyed speaking of his theories without worry of exposing his other side. Danny knew well enough to understand him. "However, I'm afraid replicating the same situation is next to impossible, as you witnessed during my cloning experiments." Danny stuck out his tongue.

"You should still talk to Dani about that…" He huffed, Vlad gave a simple not with his hand raised in acknowledgement.

"Yes, yes, I'm aware. But she is a prime example of my statement concerning replicating the half ghost process. She was, indeed, and imperfection." He huffed ignoring Danny's glare "And that also is supporting the theory of you and I being imperfections as well." Danny's offended expression faded. "Like flipping a weighted coin, we were the lucky ones to have landed on the least likely side." Danny slow blinked and shook his head, stifling a yawn. Vlad took notice and transformed into Plasmius, startling Danny to alert, but then Vlad spoke, almost too softly. "We can exchange theories at a later date." Then, he quickly went intangible and flew away, leaving Danny in an empty and way too quiet lab.

Danny gave a weary glance towards the portal, and walked over to activate it. His thumb hovered over the thumb scanner for a little while before he pressed down, opening the caution striped doors.

The familiar whoosh of the portal doors made Danny wince, but the usual swirling green patterns of fog showed themselves to the relieved teen. It was enough for him for now to know that his parent's portal was functioning normally. Worry still clung to his spine however, it relaxed a bit knowing that his home was alright. Danny pressed his thumb on the scanner once more, closing the doors. He went intangible and flew back up into his room. He scanned the dark, with the moon slightly illuminating most of the room, and was satisfied with the lack of interference. He flopped on the bed, but when he spotted his open window and his gut wrenched. He darted up and promptly closed his window. He knew it wouldn't do much if a ghost came by, but his instincts hardly lied to him. He stared at the empty street, yellow with the glow of the street lights, and watched as a calm ghost wandered about. Now he wondered if the ghosts were frightened of being caught and sent back to the Ghost Zone…

The unforgiving buzz of his phone made him groan and blindly reach out to find it. He clasped the cold metal and pressed it to his face.

"Hello?" He grumbled

"Danny! It's almost ten!" Sam's voice came sharply to his dulled senses. Ugh Sam don't yell please. Danny thought to himself. "I've been texting you for two hours." Her sharp tone faded and she laughed a little. "You that dead to the world staying up until, like three thirty? We've done worse than that." Danny let out a soft chuckle.

"I, unfortunately, had the luxury of a ghost coming in and giving me a lecture of quantum physics and ghost theories." Danny rubbed his face with his free hand after sitting up in his bed. He ruffled his hair listening to Sam

"Whoa, was it Technus?" Danny let out a sliver of laughter.

"No. It was our dear Mayor." He grumbled.

"Vlad?! He came to see YOU!?" Sam was, rightfully so, appalled by the news.

"The man is as confusing as ever." Danny growled "I'll never get him." He ruffled his hair again and started throwing on some of his more lazy day clothes.

"No one will." Sam mused

"True." Danny chuckled lightly "You wanna do something today? I'm basically free now." He checked his appearance and, for the most part, was satisfied.

"As long as you don't mind studying" Sam replied, Danny could hear the annoyance in her tone "Why does Lancer have to pull the 'it MAY be on the test' crap… Cheap." She growled the last word.

"And you were juuust defending him last night." Danny smirked

"Shut up and get over here, Danny. I need your obsession over astronomy too." Danny chuckled at Sam.

"On my way, dear." He faked a posh accent, attempting to make Sam laugh, he didn't hear anything but he could just tell she was rolling her eyes, hopefully grinning at the same time.

"See you in a bit, dork." Sam huffed in good humor and hung up. Danny went to the bathroom, brushing his teeth to rid of any night breath, and adjusted anything that looked out of order.

"Mom?" He hollered and waited for her reply

"What is it, sweetie?" She called back, he grabbed his backpack and hopped down the stairs to meet her in the kitchen.

"Sam wants a study session at her place. Is it cool?" He pulled both backpack straps on and waited for him mom to finish up cleaning her new toy.

"That's fine. You planning lunch in there?" She raised an amused eyebrow, knowing her son, despite being hungry most of the time, always forgets that he needs to eat.

"Oh, hah." Danny laughed embarrassed. "Forgot about that. We'll probably go out."

"Okay. Text me on your way home, please." She stated before strapping on her goggles and working on her new toy again. Danny was kinda curious about it, but unlike his father who shortly brags about the invention, his mother went through every detail of the process, and he didn't really want to make Sam wait.

"Will do, mom. See ya." He slipped on his shoes and went to the front door only to hold back a shriek. There was a small group of people waiting, for him, it looked like. They swarmed him as soon as he walked down the steps.

"Is it true about something wrong with the mayor?"

"Are your parents working on a solution to the ghost rumors?"

"Have you seen any ghosts recently?"

Danny blinked in shock, and covered his face in annoyance. He'd figured out how to avoid the press as Phantom and Fenton, so this was nothing knew. He walked away from the group snapping a simple "No comment." His cold tone usually sent them on their way. This time however, a couple of stragglers still followed, asking different ways of the same question.

"Look." He stopped and waited for them to be quiet "I don't know anything about the mayor and I have to study for finals." So leave me alone… His expression was a little too dark, he could tell by the expressions of the press. He sighed and walked away, leaving the press in some sort of stupor. He shrugged it off, happy for the silence, and continued on his way to Sam's.

"Hello, Daniel." Mrs. Manson answered the door. Since they were together, and Danny's grades, along with Sam's improved, her father preferred Danny over any other option he could think of. Mrs. Manson however still had a difficult mannerism for Danny to actually know if she liked him or simply tolerated him.

"Hello, Mrs. Manson." Danny tried his best to remain cheerful. "I'm here to study with Sam." The woman nodded, and put on her usual cheery voice.

"Yes, Samantha told me." She offered Danny entrance and guided him with her hand on his back. "Daniel," She started, gripping his shoulder. 'uh oh' Danny thought 'here we go.' He flinched before facing Sam's mother. "I wanted to say I'm proud of both you and Samantha, and I appreciate you and her studying more often." Danny was taken aback for a moment before he straightened his back.

"My pleasure Mrs. Manson." He stated.

"Mom, please stop harassing Danny." Sam groaned from her bedroom window.

"I'm not harassing him, Samantha." Her mother said impatiently. This was an normal occurrence, and Danny was a little entertained by the back and forth of his best friend and her mother.

"If I may?" Danny cut in politely, but internally flinched at the tone. 'Great, I just sounded like Vlad.' Mrs. Manson looked at Danny with impressed awe. 'aaaaaand she liked it. Fabulous.'

"Go ahead, Daniel." Mrs. Manson smiled and let him walk to her daughter. Sam saw his polite smile fade into annoyance.

"Sorry, about mom." She offered sadly, bringing Danny out of his irritated state.

"Oh, oh no! No no; she's fine." Danny waved his hands "I'm just freaking out over Plasmius, that's all." He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. Sam crossed her arms with a concerned look.

"Did he-?"

"Nope, nope he didn't do anything aside from scaring the crud out of me." Danny interrupted. "Just… Some of the things he said were," He paused "Alarming." He lowered his gaze away from Sam. She sat on her bed and offered a spot next to her.

"What kind of things?" She had a serious bite to her speech. Danny exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding and sat down.

"Just about the idea that… Maybe Vlad and I aren't the only half-ghosts out there, and about what could have happened." He stopped trying to stop himself from going into worst case scenarios. He gave a pathetic laugh.

"Danny…?" She nudged him to continue.

"I just don't like the idea of other people getting blasted and or electrocuted into half-alive…" Danny finished

"You're not half alive Danny. You're all alive. At least to your friends and Jazz." Sam shrugged "You're half ghost, true, but I think we all have a different description of 'alive'." She gave him a squeeze. "Come on, we've got studying to do." Danny smiled and pulled off his backpack.

The session went by quickly and both felt confident in their progress. Danny gave Sam a chaste kiss, said goodbye to her parents and left. He scanned the outside before opening the door all the way.

"Danny?" Mr. Manson was watching making Danny jump a little.

"Haha umm the press couldn't get to my mom or dad so they started picking on me and Jazz." He scratched the back of his head glancing up from his downward looking pose hoping he'd believe his half-excuse. The man nodded at Danny in understanding.

"Okay, be careful then." Danny grinned and waved before leaving into the mostly empty street. He closed the door behind him and rubbed his chilled arms a bit before heading home. It was cool enough for a light jacket, but Danny figured he'd be okay as long as the sun was still up. He stopped at the sound of his stomach growling and groaned. 'Forgot again…' He shook his head and planned a light snack before dinner. He spotted a couple of familiar ghost-faces and gave them a smile and hidden wave. The returned the gesture and went back into the shadows where a human couldn't see. The little glow outlining their forms was something Danny found out that only he could see. The ghosts seemed okay with Danny's heightened awareness and acted like they felt safer with him around, which was something to get used to. Unlike his freshman year, ghosts came to him for help more times than not. Danny felt a small smile creep up on his face and shook his head.

Suddenly, a loud shriek came tearing across the path ahead of him and, speak of the devil, a familiar face came flying up in Danny's face.

"Whoa whoa!" He took a step back, but the ghost, he still hadn't gotten their name, stayed in his face, grabbing the collar of his shirt. Maybe they forgot their name?

"Something's bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!" it shrieked making Danny close his eyes and wince "Phantom! Bad! He's gone bad! Bad bad!" Danny forced the ghost off him, stopping the hollering, shocked no one else heard it.

"Easy, Loud." He grabbed it's shoulders and settled the nervous twitching and gnawing of its own knuckles "Who's gone bad?" The ghost shook it's head.

"White and black outfit! Kinda like yours! Rad cape! Blue! Red eyes!" It shrieked waving its arms. Danny flinched away from the ghost, but shot back up into its face.

"Are you sure?!" He growled "What color was his energy?!" The little ghost shrunk back in fright. Danny let it go and huffed out a calming breath.

"P-pink! It was pink! I was hit right here!" It tried its best to be quieter but its voice was its only power. It revealed a mark on it's back, still showing some pink smoke and residue. Danny couldn't deny it. It was Plasmius.

"Find cover!" He barked the order causing the loud ghost to flinch a little "And get anyone else you find to get to safety!" The loud ghost saluted and took off only to stop in its tracks.

"No! No! Phantom!" It flew back to Danny, holding his arm. "No! Don't face him! He already took out bigger ghosts! Bigger than him! Don't go!" Danny pulled his arm away, and stopped. Was- was the Loud One… crying? It was crying! He saw the equivalent to tears pooling in it's white eyes. He patted its shoulder.

"I'm just distracting him enough to where he can't hurt anyone else." He gave his best reassuring smile. The ghost hiccupped, or what sounded like it anyways, and nodded.

"Careful, Phantom. Pink is angry. Won't like you." It's voice was very quiet. Danny furrowed his brows, but smiled again.

"Thanks, bud." The loud one floated away, still looking at Danny. "Go." Loud One nodded and took off to, hopefully, a safe place and to warn others. He watched Loud until he couldn't see it anymore and then turned to the direction he knew Vlad was. He could feel it, whatever it was, coming closer and soon saw a faint pink glow. His expression fell into a dark glare. He didn't know why he felt so disappointed or understand the wrenching feeling in his chest, but when he realized the sky was dark, and the streetlights were on, he decided to book it towards Vlad, no matter his disappointment.


	3. Chapter 3

What he saw was a thing of his early nightmares from fighting ghosts. Pieces. There were pieces every where. Gaping holes in what used to be bodies. Ectoplasm spattered in different directions. Danny couldn't touch down from flying, but he could float over to the crouched figure of, what he could only think of as Vlad. His breathing ragged and heavy, he exhaled in low growls. There was ectoplasm and… and blood all across him. Danny scanned the area again in horror, searching for the source of blood, but out of all the pieces, none were human. The only red was dripping from Vlad's back, splattered on his arms, and most likely his face. Danny, with a biting pain in his chest floated closer to his, sort-of enemy. Vlad flinched and stared at Danny with rage-filled eyes, and snarled at the younger man. Danny's eyes widened and body stiffened. Vlad's eyes were on fire, like molten metal inside, and smoke billowed from his snarling lips.

Vlad lunged with gnarling hands, slamming Danny to the ground, hitting his head and left shoulder. Vlad flipped him from his side and clasped hungry hands around Danny's neck, squeezing, unforgiving, hot as hell, burning into Danny's flesh. The pain made him shriek, but Vlad only gripped harder, snarling, staring blindly. Danny's eyes bulged, he clasped them shut, kicking Vlad in the stomach. Vlad didn't move. Danny felt the crushing of burnt flesh, grabbed Vlad's fiery arms and froze them. Vlad let go with a horrid howl instantly melting the ice. He reached for Danny once more

"V-Vlad!" Danny's voice was course and breathless, hardly making a sound. Despite that Vlad stopped. His eyes looked semi normal, and suddenly Vlad himself grasped at his messy hair and fell. Landing on his face next to Danny. The young man tried to sit up, but his shaky arms refused, making him fall back, hitting the back of his head on the soaked pavement. His throat was in agony, he could hardly breathe. He gave up the struggle as soon as he felt the energy surge around him, turning him human. He let out a scream, the pain of burnt flesh the soreness in his shoulder and head, doubled, maybe even tripled. There was a moment of pure, white hot pain, he couldn't feel anything else. His mind and body couldn't take it, and right before everything went horribly empty, he felt something shift next to him.

"Come on sweetie. Come on." The voice was soft and comfortable, unlike whatever he was on. The air smelled of metal and electricity. His heart raced and he struggled.

"Easy, Danny." Warm hands held him down. "Don't force yourself to move." Jazz. His breath hitched. He still couldn't move and talking proved impossible; he couldn't even let out a whimper. The hands holding his shoulder's ran through his hair, a warm kiss place on his forehead. There was a cold sensation on his neck and he inhaled a hiss of pain. The hands, his mom's possibly, lightly touched the cold around his neck.

"Jack, hold him up please?" His mother asked, soon his was lifted up by large hands wrapped around his back. His father tilted his son's head forward, Danny heard rather than felt a series of light crackling then the cold dabbed onto the back of his neck. "There we go." A light fabric wrapped around his neck. He managed a groan as his father lifted him up into his arms.

"What's the diagnosis mom?" Jazz asked, following behind Jack, Maddie let out a relieved sigh.

"It looked worse than it actually was. His burns are second degree at worst, and his neck is fine. It looked like he stopped bleeding from the scratches stopped before we got there." Jazz let out a similar sigh of relief. She was beyond scared hearing her mom and dad barreling out the door after a small shrieking ghosts only to come back with Danny and Vlad of all people, battered, blood and ectoplasm covered, and limp in their arms. Vlad was awake, but looked like he hadn't slept in ages, and he looked far better than Danny. The man hid his injuries well, but Jazz caught him patching two large cuts reaching down in between his shoulders. She chose not to say anything about it, though. She remained alert and hyper aware of Danny's convulsions and coughing fits while he lay on the operating table in the lab; her parents working vigilantly around him, caring for his burns and scrapes. He had a fair amount of large bruises and a bump on the back of his head.

She didn't want to see him on that table. She hated the vivid image that haunted her worse nights. When Danny started moving differently, struggling, she knew it was out of fear. He knew what the lab felt like. Her vague comforting words seemed to calm him down. She waited at the bottom of the stairs as their parents tucked her younger brother in to get some well needed, voluntary rest. She had quite a few questions for the two half ghosts, but Vlad will have to do for now. She spotted him in the kitchen slumped over the dining table absently swirling the spoon in his coffee.

"Mr. Masters…" She started with a cold tone.

"Ask away, my dear. Though I'm afraid I cannot answer a majority of your questions." So he was expecting her. Okay. She sat at the table across from him.

"And why is that?" She started. Vlad straightened up, and looked Jazz in the eyes.

"Because the last thing I remember is seeing young Daniel on the ground in front of me." He admitted. Jazz was unsure if he was telling the truth, but she knew Vlad couldn't have burned Danny without burning herself.

"Do you remember anything before then?" Vlad tilted his head at the shift in her tone, but closed his eye in thought. His eyes shot open.

"There was a…" He stopped "Rogue anomaly. I'm not sure what happened after I had spotted its manifestation."

"A rogue anomaly?" Jazz repeated and put her hand to her chin in thought. "Have you seen this anomaly before?" Vlad had a small grin for some reason.

"Only a few, over long periods of time, though they all looked different from each other."

"Were you planning to tell my parents?" She accused. Vlad shook his head

"The few times I have seen them, they were merely out of the way; hardly in a highly populated area. Nothing about them disturbed wildlife or the atmosphere." Vlad glanced down, obviously regretting his previous assumption. "I had thought they were a natural phenomenon. No threat had revealed itself until just recently." He finished. Jazzes eyes widened and the familiarity between Vlad's notes and Danny's story of the Infamap clicked.

"Are they ghost portals?" She wanted to prove her theory. Vlad smiled. Was he testing her?

"Yes, at least that's what I thought until tonight." He glared off in another direction. Or, at least his well hidden and composed glare that only a few people could really see.

"Vlad?" Maddie called softly from the base of the stairs "Danny's asking about you." Both Jazz and Vlad were in stunned silence before Vlad finished off his coffee and stood, adjusting his shirt collar. Jazz followed quietly.

"Daniel?" The young halfa recognized the collected tone of Vlad Masters and turned his head. He was too dazed to notice before, but his left eye was swollen, and his father made a little ice-pack eye-patch. He chuckled when his father deemed it the ice-patch. Danny made a motion towards his throat then flicked his pointer fingers against each other, paused a bit, folded his thumb in on his right hand, placed it to his chin and slightly wiggled his fingers. Danny would have burst out laughing at the astonished look Vlad gave him. 'well, that's good. He can understand sign language,' or at least as much as Danny knew since he only started studying it these last few months. He figured it was a good thing to know since he's run into quite a couple deaf folks and ghosts during his recent patrols. The one person that really pulled at his desire to learn it came into his work so often that he felt guilty he couldn't communicate with her faster so she could be comfortable.

Danny's mom chuckled lightly and patted Vlad's arm.

"He's been studying a few languages over the weekends. He's been quickly picking up sign language." She boasted coming up to Danny and ruffling his hair.

"Impressive." Vlad nodded his approval towards Danny. Danny tapped his chest flat handed, flicked his thumb out from under his chin, tapped his chin with his hand flat and sent it out like blowing a kiss. Then he waved both his hands in a dismissive manner.

"Translation?" Jack and Maddie asked

"Says he's not good at it." Vlad replied. "I'd have to disagree, but due to your shoulder injury I suggested holing back a little." Danny shook his head a little and flashed his right hand _I'm fine._

Danny signed what little he knew to Vlad, knowing Jazz could understand his underdeveloped motions. To his pleasant surprise Vlad responded in smooth motions of his own hands.

"Op, getting a headache." Danny's dad blurted, covering his eyes, giving off a pathetic groan. Danny's mother took Jack downstairs waving and fusing at his tolerability when it came to the portal and all the flashing blaring lights in the lab most of the time. The conversation starts clumsily, but it quickens when Vlad gives Danny words he didn't know. Jazz followed along, watching each of their faces. Danny learned the same information that Jazz gathered earlier. Maddie came up shortly after setting her husband down on the couch with some iced tea.

"Lay back down Danny. Need to check your eye." Danny rolled his exposed eye and flopped down. He regretted that action forgetting the blotched purple bruises. The patch was removed and Danny had to blink a couple of times to rid his vision of blurs, but his mother seemed satisfied with it's results. She checked the side of his forehead above his eye and gave off an unhappy air, before replacing the gauze. Danny waved his hands towards each other with a furrowed brow. _What_?

"It looks like you're still going to need that bandage for a little. You must have skidded after falling." Maddie answered simply. "How's you shoulder?" Danny gave her a loose wavy hand gesture and moved his hands _Okay, sore._ Maddie nodded then turned to Vlad.

"Can we talk please? Jazz watch over your brother." Jazz nodded and watched the two head downstairs. Danny knew Vlad had changed a little for the better, but he was still masterful at coming up with lies to cover what really happened.

"Well, you're still pretty bruised up, little brother." Jazz smiled, Danny replied with a light shrug. "You're hyper healing sure does take it's time." She teased, Danny stuck his tongue out at her. Jazz paused and ran her fingers through her hair. "Mind if I asked you some things?" Danny shrugged _Fine._

"What do YOU remember?" Danny's form stiffened and his eyes widened as his mind flashed the horrific image. He shook his head and signed furiously

 _I don't know. It was bad. Really bad._ He paused before signing again. _Were you there? Did you see?_ Jazz shook her head.

"Mom and Dad painted a pretty ugly picture though. Did Vlad do all that?" Jazz sat down on the floor beside Danny's bed, resting her chin and arms on the edge.

 _I don't know._ Danny waved his hands _saw that when I got there._ Jazz left it at that and switched to helping Danny learn more sign language. They heard a small commotion down stairs and Jazz walked to the stairs.

"Everything okay down there?" Jazz called.

"Yeah princess, Vlad is just getting ready to head home!" Jack's booming voice replied.

"Bye Mr. Masters! Oh," Jazz turned to see Danny peaking out from his door and waved. "Danny said bye too!"

"Thank you, I will find time to come by and say hello more often." Vlad said in such a warm tone Danny was actually taken aback by it.

"Oh, thank you Vlad. We appreciate it." Maddie gave a little wave, Vlad responding in kind, then he left the home, closing the door behind him.

"Get back in bed before Nurse Mom catches you." Jazz waved away her little brother, whom promptly stuck out his tongue and went back into his room. Or, rather, limped back into his room.

"Goodnight kids." Jazz and Danny heard Jack's cheery bellow and Jazz responded for Danny and herself. Jazz walked by Danny's room and turned his light off, a volley ball bouncing past her. He couldn't exactly yell at her, so that was the best he could do to protest her actions. Danny, resisting the habit of flopping onto bed, climbed on and settled on his pillows, pulling the blanket to cover his chest. He stared at his ceiling, which he managed to paint a star chart on, and yawned. His vision slowly faded as he focused on Orion. Before long he was asleep.

The next morning he opened his eyes and yawned. He blinked his blurry watery vision and rubbed his eyes of access morning tears, yawning again during the process before sitting up.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Danny opened one eye and smiled at his two patient friends.

"Dude, what happened? Your mom talked like you were on the verge of death." Tucker cave his best wtf face. Danny laughed a little

"Sure felt like it for a second." His voice was scratchy, but there being any sound at all was a relief. "Sweet, I can talk again!" There was a slight burning sensation but he felt ten times better than last night.

"Hold on, turn around. I want to see if Jazz was right." Tucker patted Danny's good shoulder. Somehow the halfa knew exactly what Tucker was talking about and turned around lifting his shirt to reveal the bruise. "Oh, dang…" Tucker whistled "Looks like you got a bunch of skin dye spilled on ya."

"That colorful, huh?" Danny put his shirt down and faced his friends

"If bruises could be rainbows." Sam confirmed

"Jackson Pollock painting on your back, my man." Tucker laughed. Danny rolled his eyes in good humor. They were already used to this kind of damage, but they were hoping he'd look a little better the day after, like usual. Considering the beating Danny received from a not so lucid Plasmius, he wasn't all that surprised.

"So, any reason for the visit this fine day?" Danny paused "It is Sunday… right?" Tucker laughed.

"Yup, it's Sunday." Tucker reassured Danny.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm guessing he's awake." Jazz came to the open door and knocked on the frame. "How you doing little brother?" Danny gave her a bright smile.

"Much better." His voice was still a little course, but he was easily pushing past that. He felt way less dazed on wobbly.

"You aren't going anywhere, Danny." Jazz huffed as he moved to get out of bed. Danny glared, but re-adjusted his position and pillows so he could sit up and talk to his friends. Jazz lifted her nose to the air in success as she walked away. Danny made a face in her direction and yawned again.

"You guys can go do, whatever," he tilted his hand back and forth "if you want. Seems I'm under house- er, bed arrest." He had a light impatient tone to that statement, but he figured it was best to not anger the sister.

"Nah, dude." Tucker grinned, flopping backwards on the base of Danny's bed.

"We're here to harass you." Sam sat next to Danny, who shifted over to the left to make room.

"And interrogate, I'm guessing." Danny snorted. He rolled his right shoulder until there was a satisfying popping sound. "Man that's stiff." He stretched a little, but stopped when a feeling close to an irritated sunburn danced across his neck. "Oof…" He gently placed a chilled hand on the sore spot.

"You still hurtin'?" Tucker moved his head to face Danny.

"Eh, it just feels like a day old sunburn." Danny winced a little, cooling off the skin for some relief. "Good to know these ice powers of mine can help with burns. You ever need an ice pack, give me a call." He laughed, making Sam shake her head.

"Work on those jokes, man." Tucker huffed, horribly hiding his own laugh. Danny shrugged his right shoulder

"I was being semi" he emphasized the word "serious." Sam patted his leg in mock comfort.

"Stop trying, honey." She hummed. Danny shot her an annoyed look.

"You guys are being SO far from supportive right now. Look" He gestured to his head. "I'm in pain. Be nicer." That one made the other two laugh.

"Stop trying, honey." Danny mocked nasally "Made you laugh that time." He crossed his arms and looked away from her with a fake scoff. "Ah!" He twitched his left shoulder. "Now it's itching…" He grumbled.

"He's totally on pain meds right now." Tucker mused

"Yyyyup!" Sam laughed

"So I had a couple shots of morphine. No big dead." I sputtered a bit "I mean deal! Deal. Not dead." He cleared his throat putting on a 'I totally did that on purpose, shut up' façade "No big DEAL." Sam and tucker burst out laughing.

"Oh man, can't wait till our twenty first!" Tucker snorted "If you're this funny on pain meds I can't wait to see you drunk!" Danny glared at him

"You won't remember a dang thing. You're a total lush. I can FEEL it." Sam rolled her eyes.

"I'm volunteering for designated driver. I can't trust to leave you two alone in a bar." Sam gave them both a dead pan stare.

"Jazz is gonna be there." Danny defended, but stopped, "I kinda want to share the occasion with her though. She'll have a couple years of experience on her."

"Danny… DANNY!" Sam snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, bringing him back from his premature birthday planning.

"Oops. Heh. Sorry." He scratched the back of his head out of embarrassed habit, but winched. "Ow."

"You have a bump there, Danny." Tucker stated the obvious

"You're not hyper healed, yet." Sam snickered.

"Yeah? Well it needs to work faster." Danny pouted. "Being bed-ridden is NOT something I enjoy."

"Morphine may dull the senses, but it sure as heck doesn't effect his stubbornness. That's for sure." Tucker dodged a lazy kick from Danny. Danny's eyes glazed over, but he suddenly shook his head. His eyes drooped and he slapped himself in the face

"BAH! I've had enough sleep!" He growled, his best friends snickered with a concerned smile.

"Obviously not." Tucker snorted. Danny listlessly kicked at Tucker again. Sam stood up, making Danny whine pathetically. She laughed and helped him to lay down again. His heart felt like it was going a million miles trying to get out of his chest.

"Ow, ow, ow." He clutched his chest and sunk lower on the bed. "Ah, panicking, why am I panicking?" He growled impatiently. He's had a couple of these before, where he couldn't breathe, his heart beat too loud and too fast, his chest hurt… Jazz called it an anxiety attack. He took a deep breath, forcing past the pressure and slowly exhaled. After a couple more of those his body seemed to stop hating him.

"You okay?" Tucker asked as softly as he could. Danny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. Hate those." He mumbled letting his head fall back onto his pillow.

"You talk to someone about them?" Been having them a lot past few months, dude." Tucker rose a concerned eyebrow.

"Nah, Jazz and I figure it's just anxiety kicking my butt my senior year." Danny puffed a stray, black hair from his face. "Psychologist major looked it up and we tried the whole breathing thing. Works every time." He groaned at the pain in his mid back and turned over, facing Sam's lap, glaring at the fabric on her knee. "I don't want to be this tired." He grumbled. Sam patted his head.

"You need sleep Danny. Helps you heal faster." Danny puffed out a small scoff. Sam ran her fingers through his hair.

"Stop that. You're gonna make me sleepy." His tone was a little slurred and Tucker and Sam laughed.

"That's the idea my dear Danny." Sam continued despite Danny's attempts at protesting. Whether he liked it or not Sam was going to get the boy to sleep. Eventually his breathing became deep, slow and content, and he subconsciously reached for Sam's free hand. He may be Asexual, though he never said it aloud, he was a bit of a romantic. Jazz, Sam and Tucker caught the nervous hints from Danny when he sent them out, trying to be casual about it.

"And he's outta here." Tucker whispered he remained in his sprawled out position at the foot of the bed. Sam stroked his hair a little more and gave him a kiss.

"We'll be downstairs for a bit, hon." Danny responded in a little moan and released Sam's hand. Both Tucker and Sam silently snuck out of his room and closed the door. Danny shifted a bit and let himself fully give in to sleep.

Little did anyone know, another pair of visitors came to Danny. Vlad and Loud One phased in through an outside wall. Loud One, clamping its mouth shut, went up to Danny and snuggled it's small form against his back. It looked up to Vlad, in concern. The other halfa simply smiled gratefully and shook his head. Danny would be okay. Danny hummed absently at the cool touch of Loud against his bruise.

Loud shifted a little and wiggled in between Danny's arms, snuggling against his chest. It let out a little whine similar to a puppy. Danny opened his eyes and looked down. He recognized the little formless green blob and smiled.

"Hey, Loud." He was still half-asleep, his voice low and thick. Vlad flinched, wanting to turn invisible, but knew Danny would still be able to see him.

"Phantom okay?" Loud nuzzled under Danny's chin. Snuggly little thing when it wanted to be, Danny guessed.

"Phantom okay." He didn't notice before, but Loud had whiskers. What was this thing? Danny giggled a bit at the whiskers nuzzling. He then thought of something. "Do you like being called Loud?" He remembered the label Inviso Bill and scrunched up his nose. What if Loud didn't like the label the other ghosts gave it?

"It okay, don't remember real name." it seemed to get a little colder. Danny thought for a minute.

"We can give you a better name." He started, Loud looked up with bright eyes.

"Phantom name me?" It removed itself from Danny's arms "Phantom want name me?" It voice was getting a little louder, and it started lightly bouncing.

"Would you like that?" Danny asked, propping himself up on his elbow,

"Yes, yes! Please name! Love named!" It flew in little bouncy circle while Danny pondered a good name. He remembered staring at Orion last night.

"How about Tabit?" the formless little thing stopped and tilted it's head

"Tabit? What Tabit?" Danny pointed to the collection of stars.

"It's the northern star of Orion. One of my favorite constellations." Hardly any constellation wasn't on that list, but he enjoyed seeing The Hunter on winter nights.

"Naming me after favorite? Orion good guy?" Danny nodded at, hopefully deemed, Tabit's questions. "Tabit?" It gestured to itself. Danny gave a small nod.

"Only if you want." He said, laying down on his tired arm.

"Tabit!" It started flying in happy little circles again, but then… It quickly changed form while bouncing. It looked like a combination of a little seal and a cat. Danny was a bit shocked. Tabit threw itself at Danny and nuzzled him again. Danny blinked a few times, looking at the little creature, that sure as heck wasn't like any ghost he'd ever seen… And he's seen a lot.

"What ARE you?" Danny asked, now fully awake and aware of a familiar presence behind him.

"I'm a Tabit!" It responded cheerily. "You named me and what you saw in me became me!" It nuzzled him again. "Phantom my friend now. Tabit always help Phantom!"

"Oh!" Danny suddenly perked up, remembering some lessons he'd gotten from Frost Bite. Or was it clockwork? He shook his head. He laughed "You're literally a Nameless." He patted the short fur on Tabit's head. Tabit looked up and nodded.

"You first ghost to name me. REALLY name me! No more Loud One! Tabit!" Vlad, staying hidden in the corner smirked. Danny has no idea what he'd just gotten himself into. Nameless always looked to be named by another ghost. It would stay with them until they faded. And, nameless were unimaginably loyal. Danny was silent for a moment before turning his head a bit towards Vlad hiding place.

"You can stop being the creepy stalker now. You're doing a very creepily good job at it…" He glanced directly at Vlad, who stepped out of the shadows.

"You're looking much better." He stated. Danny shrugged,

"I feel like half a zombie." Tabit perched itself, stretched across his neck. Danny was ecstatic at the cool feeling on his irritated skin.

"You will heal much faster with Tabit." Vlad crossed his arms with a smile.

"Huh?" Danny looked up at Vlad dumbly. "What's that supposed to mean?" He raised a confused eyebrow. Vlad snorted, not surprised Danny didn't know the full extent.

"You have yourself a familiar, Daniel."

"A familiar?" Danny looked at Tabit, who was now snoozing nuzzling between his neck and shoulder.

"Yes, Daniel." Vlad came closer and scratched behind Tabit's cat-like ear. "Once they are genuinely named, they become connected with the one naming them. It's much like a pact between them." Tabit nuzzled Danny a little more after his neck started stinging. It helped. "They heal their partner, boost energy and power, and will never leave them." Vlad stopped and stared at Danny "Ever." He emphasized. Danny felt a little excited, it was like having his own little monster in a video game. He scratched Tabit's head between the ears.

"A familiar, huh?" Danny looked up at Vlad. "You have one?" Vlad shook his head.

"Most were hunted down for some reason. Collectors, maybe. Or just because." Vlad crossed his arms. "Any Nameless are hiding now, have been for millennia. I believe Pariah may have used them, and you know how kind he can be." Sarcasm was practically oozing from Vlad. Tabit shuddered, confirming a little of the theory, but most ghosts hate any mention of that tyrant. Danny rubbed it's back and sat in silence. A few moments later Danny flashed an incredulous expression towards Vlad.

"None of that's the reason you came here." He looked away, focusing on finding Tabit's favorite scratching spots.

"I came to apologize Daniel. I may not remember it, but I have made you suffer." Vlad bowed his head a little at Danny making him furrow his brows in confusion. "Be extra careful and aware these next days." Vlad had a serious and dark expression. "It's only going to get worse." With that he grabbed his cape and vanished before Danny could say anything. Danny narrowed his eyes, irritated at Vlad's actions

"Drama queen…" He grumbled bitterly. "Why is he telling me all this stuff anyway? He's just… Pouring out information!" Danny flailed his arms in exasperation.

"Coming!" Tabit hissed and turned invisible. Just then, Jazz, Sam and Tucker came in holding a few sandwiches.

"Up and at em already?" Tucker whistled. "Wow dude, you used to have purple eye shadow under them eyeballs. You wash your face while we were gone?" Danny was tempted to throw something at Tucker, but decided against it. The man had food and Danny completely forgot how hungry he was.

"Brought you some brunch." Jazz smirked at the excited eyes of her brother as soon as he laid eyes on, when she knew was his favorite kind of sandwich. The seventeen(?) year-old reached out enthusiastically.

"Yes please!" He begged making Tucker snort. Sam tossed him a small bag of his favorite chips and Danny was ridiculously grateful at the lengths his sister and best friends went through to spoil him. "You guys are amazing!" He opened the back and shoved a couple chips in his mouth, enjoying every little taste. Jazz set a plate on his lap as soon as he crossed his legs. They all perched on his bed and started chattering and eating. Danny noticed a little fidget on his left side, and offered a chip to Tabit. He spaced out that Tabit was invisible, but when Tabit snagged the chip and munched on it, the other three stared wide eyed.

"What?" Danny asked simply. "Oh!" It clicked "Tabit you can be visible. Their friends." The trio of confusion were shocked to see the strange little creature wrapped around the back Danny's neck.

"Wha-!" Danny held up his hand to stop Jazz, finishing his bite.

"Tabit, this is Jazz, Sam, and Tucker." Tabit shrunk back a little "Guys, this is Tabit." They collectively shouted a bunch of questions, scaring the ever-living out of Tabit, causing him to take shelter in Danny's shirt.

"Ack! Tabit? Guys- GUYS!" He interrupted the onslaught of questions. "Chill out a sec, you're freaking it out!" They stopped, and after a few pats from Danny and some encouraging words Tabit peaked out Danny's shirt.

"What is it?" Jazz tilted her head and looked over what she could see of the seal like creature. Danny shrugged slightly

"It's called a Nameless, but I didn't even know they still existed." Jazz sat up, but Sam about leapt off the edge of the bed.

"You're kidding!" Op, she knows what that is. Danny smirked. "And you NAMED IT!?" Danny leaned away from her and made a face at her. She got real loud real fast.

"Obviously." He huffed.

"Do you realize if you gave it the wrong name it would have killed you!?" Sam hissed. Danny stared at her, in bashful astonishment.

"Nnnnnope!" Danny half sung "Did not know that." Sam put her palm to her forehead and sighed, obviously astonished and annoyed at Danny's naivety.

"Well, you named it right!" Tucker beamed. Sam shot a glare at him making Danny laugh. Jazz came up to Tabit, cowering under Danny's chin.

"Hello, Tabit." She cooed sweetly. Tabit look at Jazz then at Danny it's flipper-like paws placed on his collar bone.

"It's okay, bud." Danny patted it's head and lifted it from out of his shirt.

"Jazz…" Tabit echoed. Danny and Jazz both nodded, the Tabit flew out of Danny's arms to Jazz. She stroked it's fluffy neck and Tabit nuzzled against her. "Friend!" Sam almost cooed herself at the cute moment. They were all taken aback at how sweet this little thing was.

"It's like a cat!" Tucker pointed out. Tabit flew up to him and nodded.

"Tabit like this because Phantom saw it!" It announced cheerily. "Phantom saw me as Tabit!" It confused the majority of the group until Jazz spoke up.

"So, when Danny named you he saw a cat, and a seal… fusion?" Jazz questioned. Tabit nodded enthusiastically.

"So you're a Sat?" Tucker snickered at his own horrible pun. Tabit glared at him

"No, Tabit a Tabit!" It corrected haughtily. Tucker raised his hands in apology.

"Okay, okay, sorry little guy." Tabit, forgiving Tucker, then floated around the group in it's signature bouncy circles.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you're getting the hang of Tabit being there during school?" Sam had her hand on her chin, cross legged on the bench. Danny glanced up from playing around with Tabit's retractable claws.

"The cat part is showing itself. Tabit just kinda meanders around…" He paused snorting "And chasing bugs for some reason. Thinks my hood is the five star place to be to nap." Tabit floated up and perched on Danny's head. Danny stared blankly at his notebook. Vlad hadn't shown up since the really weird apology. Christmas had already passed and it was just New Years yesterday. It was only going to get worse? Nothing's happened except for a few more frequent ghosts and Ember being bored. She though it was a grand way to rid herself of some by fighting Danny. She soon got tired and just took off, as usual for her random spats with him. She was more of a sparring partner than an enemy now. Danny stopped.

Wait. Most ghosts didn't fight him very often any more. Spectra, Skulker, Technus, even Young Blood; none of them really did anything other than pick a fight every once in a while. Not seeing Vlad? Or any of the rogue portals? What was happening? Danny stood up, starting his little study group.

"I've gotta check something. I'll see you guys later." Danny took off towards his house, Tabit in tow.

"We're going to have to go after him, huh?" Tucker stated blandly.

"What do you think?" Sam responded looking up from her book with impatient eyes.

When he Danny out of sight from most people, he transformed and bolted into his home down to the lab. He stopped, invisible and gaped a bit before checking all around the house. No Jazz, mom or dad…

Now he knew something was wrong. He just saw them this morning. They would have told him if they took off. He snagged his phone and dialed Jazz.

"DANNY!" Came her horrified shriek. "Get out of the house if you're there! Quick!" Danny didn't ask a thing and shot away from Fenton Works. Before he could even ask a jolt of spectral energy shot outwards.

"What the heck?! JAZZ?" Danny hollered into his phone "Where are you?" His voice was higher pitched than he'd care for.

"I don't know…" Jazz's voice was course with fear. Had she been screaming?!

"Do you see mom and dad?" Danny asked touching down by the front porch.

"Yeah, they're here… wherever this is, with me."

"Is that Danny?" "How'd you get a hold of him?!"

"He called me. I don't know how it worked." Jazz answered the voices of Jack and Maddie.

"Let me see, honey." There was silence as Jazz passed the phone to their mom.

"Danny. There was a surge of ecto-energy a few minutes ago, right?" Maddie's voice was calm, but there was a worried tone.

"Yeah. Do you know what happened?" There was a pause. "Mom?"

"The portal is acting as if there are surges of energy from an outside source over coming it. I need you to keep away from it!" Maddie ordered "This area we're in is some sort of pocket dimension."

"Wait, you don't think you're in the Ghost Zone?" Danny protested.

"We're not-" The phone went dead. There was no way in hell he was going near the portal now. He knew where he needed to go. Danny glared in the direction of a large manor.

"We see Pink?" Tabit asked hovering Danny's shoulder.

"Yeah." Danny's tone was harsh. "We see Pink..." He had a growl in the back of his throat. Vlad knew something about this. Why the hell did he disappear before this happened. Was he avoiding it?! Danny took off with a blast of cold air and air skidded to a halt. How'd he get there so fast? He flew into the main door and called out in a horrible voice.

"VLAD!" It echoed throughout the halls. A snarl responded. Vlad game shooting from the floor, narrowly dodged by Danny.

"TOLD YOU." He snarled, green spilling out between his sharp teeth. Danny glowered. "WORSE!" Danny flinched slightly, Tabit holding onto his back.

"You could have been more-!" He dodged an ecto-blast "Specific!" He shielded himself against another blow. "And not start hiding-!" Another attack, Vlad throwing himself at the Young Man, full body. "In a dark corner like some brooding vampire from a young adult NOVEL!" He dodged another attack, getting a full view of the damage on the other halfa. Vlad was hardly recognizable! His uniform torn to shreds, only a fraction of the cloak left between his shoulders. His eyes weren't red anymore, they were molten metal. Bright orange yellow and white searing out of his skull. Danny remembered when he was last attacked, smoke was billowing out of Vlad's mouth. Smoke, heat burning his neck, the feeling of being thrown into a bonfire. Vlad poised for another attack. Danny tested his will, gulped down his fear and hoped to anything out there he was right.

Danny went right for Vlad, plowing head first into the halfa's chest freezing the air around them. He hadn't realized until last moment that Tabit was right with him. The two collided in a flash of lights and steam, landing in a crumpled heap on the ground by the main stairs. Danny shot up and wobbled dizzily, readying himself before Vlad attacked again. He never did. The collision filled the entire area with choking steam. Danny hunched over, clutching his knees. Tabit flew up and wrapped itself around the back of Danny's neck. They waited anxiously for the steam to fade. Danny's breath hitched as he saw Vlad, sitting cross legged, holding his head. Vlad looked up with a tired smile. Danny stood up and breathed a sigh of relief. Vlad was brooding in the shadows. Making sure everyone kept away.

"So…" Danny started, landing a little ways from the older man "You remembered what happened huh?" Vlad covered his face, failing to hide the expression of self loathing.

"Unfortunately." He held a hand to his stomach then opened the hand to reveal a little flame. "Mine is much like yours, Daniel." He gestured towards Danny's mid section. Danny gripped the fabric above that spot.

"Your core?" His eyes widened "You have a fire core?!" Danny's voice was a little accusatory, making Tabit shrink. "Oh." Danny placed a hand on the creature's neck. "Sorry, Tabit." He shot an irritated glare towards Vlad.

"That why you went bonkers and were gone for so dang long?" Danny stared, obviously unamused. Vlad went on to explain his more… strenuous weeks of training, and control but, when he came back through his own portal, it blew up. Luckily it's damages only effected his lab, but now, every 43 minutes or so, it sends out a pulse of ecto-energy. It apparently effects his core to where he can't control it very well.

"I do believe the ecto-pulse is damaging in more ways than just with our cores, Daniel." Danny huffed impatiently

"Yeah, Vlad. Already figured that out." Vlad looked up, something flashing behind his eyes.

"What happened?" His tone was serious.

"Jazz, Mom and Dad are gone." Danny answered sternly. "Our portal is doing the same thing." I haven't really gotten the chance to time it however. He looked at Vlad. "We're talking to Clockwork."

"There isn't much I can do as time keeper." Clockwork stated in his unusual calm voice. Still kind of sending an irritated tingle up Danny's spine. "However, I do believe it is because these portals are not effecting time, but just space." He hovered over to Daniel. "I have called Frostbite to come, as well as Wulf." Danny about jumped with glee. He hadn't seen Wulf in a long time!

"Is that because he can rip portals?" Vlad gawked a moment at Danny's question. Obviously he'd never met the giant wolf sporting a green hoodie. Clockwork merely nodded as Wulf and Frostbite arrived. Frostbite gave Danny a side squeeze and ruffled his hair. Wulf, however, came up to Danny, lifting him in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Amiko!" He boomed, licking Danny's face. The two chattered on, and then Frostbite joined in. All three of them yammering, asking how the other was and what they've been up to, going about a million miles a second. All in Wulf's preferred language. Danny pretty much never stopped learning the language. Vlad and Clockwork merely watched on in amusement at the enthusiastic group.

Clockwork floated forward and gently interrupted the group. They all looked at him, Danny now perched on Wulf's shoulder, Tabit perched on his.

"At this moment in time," Clockwork started, waving his staff across one of his many circular screens "There have been a large amount of space anomalies appearing between our world and Daniel's home world." Glitch snow buzzed as the screen showed a few portals hovering around the skies and on the ground even some in buildings on walls floors and ceilings. "This is a rare occurrence." Clockwork floated nearby, changing his form's age periodically. "Although it is not an anomaly in itself." Clockwork continued. Danny tilted his head, listening carefully, the other ghosts basically stoic aside from Tabit, sharing in it's partner's fascination. Clockwork nodded towards Frostbite.

"It is true. Every so many millennia the portals with open more frequently and in a wider range of areas." He pulled out the Infimap, opening it wide and letting it float forward is it extended. There were small flashes of lights, like stars, constantly dieing and being born. Danny was lost in the sight for a moment but still listening to Frostbite as he stared at the Ghost Zone's little signs of life, which was hilariously ironic in it's own right.

"The portals are a way to even out imbalances between zones, maintaining time and space throughout giving us the freedom to travel about without" He glanced at Clockwork who gave a small smile and nod "effecting the time stream." Danny paused and pieced some things together.

"They're… Heh they're like space keepers?" Danny looked between Clockwork and Frostbite, both nodding in approval. "Well, that's awesome!" He geeked, earning a chuckle from Clockwork.

"Unfortunately, these portals are being effected by the imbalance of humans using more ecto energy more often." Danny shrunk back and looked towards Vlad in horror. "You two are products of early attempts to balance it out." Danny flinched, gripping the fabric on Wulf's shoulder. "A successful attempt." Clockwork added.

"In a way you are an adhesion. The perfect combination of attributes from both dimensions." Danny ran a hand through his hair.

"Umm…" He couldn't really wrap his mind around him being an adhesion or whatever. "I don't really get it." Clockwork nodded in understanding

"That is alright, We can explain in further detail while fixing the portals nearby." Danny perked up, seeing the portal shift into existence on one of the larger screens. "I can only help you get to this one in your own timeline. If you split into the same timeline your powers with most likely implode."

"Okay, so one at a time or I turn into a black hole?" Clockwork nodded. "Got it. What about the others appearing?" Frostbite came up to speak this time.

"That is where Wulf and I shall assist." He explained. "I will be assisting on this side of the portals with Clockwork's help." He reached out his ice covered claws and rolled up the Infamap. He gestured to Danny's Fenton Phones. "I will tell you when and where the portals will appear with this." Danny nodded, accepting his role in the plan.

"Will reversing the polarity with my thermos do the trick like it did with Wulf's a while ago?" Danny inquired. Clockwork nodded.

"It'll need an extra boost of energy from you." Danny understood, vaguely, but he trusted Clockwork, And, speaking of trust, or a little lack-of, Danny turned to Vlad.

"What about you?" Vlad had his smug smirk planted on his face "I'm here to help against the ghosts that have the unfortunate experience of being exposed to the impurities as it were."

"Okay," Danny rolled his eyes, and turned to Clockwork "What about the humans that were exposed." He knew Vlad and Clockwork were already aware of his family's disappearance.

"The ones exposed to the pulse, or impurities, have been quarantined in a location safe from the portals." Clockwork explained "Time passes slowly there compared to here. What will take us days will be merely seconds to them." Danny's mind went to the call from his sister. That timing was awkwardly perfect, then. His heart leapt out of chest. The lab! He shot up.

"More people are going to be exposed if I don't shut down my portal!" Danny blurted. The others waited as Danny took off, Wulf following behind him.

"Okay, Danny's been gone beyond long enough." Sam huffed, packing her things and shooting a look at Tucker, who was packing up as well.

"Agreed. Let's stalk his house." Tucker smirked

"You don't stalk houses, Tucker… They don't move." Sam rolled her eyes as they sped towards Fenton Works. "It's more of a-…" She stopped herself at the sight of Tucker's stupidly wide grin and groaned "It's called a steak out." She glared daggers as Tucker snickered like a ten-year-old. They reached Fenton Works and noticed something off right away. Sam bolted up the porch and knocked on the door twice before shouting.

"I'm coming in! Sorry!" The door flew open, Sam and Tucker skidded to a halt, noting the bitter cold inside the usually warm house. "Lab?" Sam suggested.

"Lab." Tucker confirmed and they both shot into the kitchen and down the stairs. A strange alarm was shrieking Sam and Tucker covered their ears, looking for Danny. As if on cue Danny flew in, flinched from the alarm, saw his best friends, snagged them, and flew off just before another pulse went off. They all landed on the asphalt, Sam and Tucker staring in shock.

"What the HECK was that!?" Tucker flailed, gripping his beret to his head.

"Stay with Wulf! I'll be right back!" Danny bolted inside and amidst the blaring sirens turned everything off. Every last item that ran on ecto-energy, or any energy. The sirens stopped and the lights went dark, leaving a breathless Danny in the pitch dark, ice cold room. It took him a minute to catch his breath then flew out to join his friends.

"Hey guys." He held his knees, tired from flying at nearly mock speed back and forth. Sam and Tucker, went up to Danny, giving him a little more support

"Wulf told us about the weird portals!" Tucker huffed "That was a lot of quantum and astrophysics that I was not ready for." He adjusted his hat a little.

"How are we going to get back into the ghost zone now that portals are all out of whack?" Sam asked, then looked like she mentally slapped herself. "Wulf… right." Wulf offered a grin. His claws shot out and he clawed through the air like it was fabric into the Ghost Zone.

"Ah, before we go." Danny stopped his two human friends "Uh…" They stared at him, Wulf waiting patiently. "Don't freak out at who you see, okay? Please?" He begged. His friends blinked in confusion but nodded. Danny sighed a bit before wrapping his arms around Sam and Tucker's waists, taking off into the ripped hole in space.

"Explain, please." Sam coaxed. "Who all is there?" Danny glanced her direction before looking back towards Clockwork's tower.

"It's Vlad. He's…" Danny scrunched his nose up "He's kind of a disaster." Tucker looked at Danny, only to have a seal-like fluff nuzzle against his cheek.

"A disaster?" Tucker asked between the laughs.

"Yeah, um…" He felt a little uncomfortable telling them what's up with Vlad. Like it wasn't his place. He quickly mentally smacked the thought away. "Know how I have an ice core?" His friends nodded. "Yeah, he has a fire core."

"Fire?!" Sam had a deadpan expression "Somehow that's not that surprising." Danny chuckled

"He was gone for a while training for control." Danny stared off, drifting into questions as to why Vlad was so violent, and what woke his core. "It shows…" He growled. Sam knew that look. It was disappointment, annoyance kind of. Danny knew he could have helped. Evidently, he already did though.

They arrived and came in the large open doors. They were greeted by Clockwork, Frostbite and Vlad. Apparently, Vlad found a way to fix up his uniform to be a little more presentable. He still looked like a disaster to Danny though, but then again he was still irritated with the man. Clockwork had the large circular screen on the same portal that materialized earlier, however he took the time to explain everything to Sam and Tucker.

"We're helping." Sam stated matter-of-factly, then promptly shoved an accusatory finger at Vlad. "And don't say we'll just get in the way, or I'll be your worst nightmare." Vlad half smirked, but didn't respond. Before anyone got to angry Danny pushed Sam towards Clockwork's portal and shot an irritated glare towards Vlad.

"Okay, Sam. Let's go save the world… er worlds." Tucker shrugged and followed close behind.

"So two halfas, one ghost and two humans fighting portals?" Tucker started "Somehow I was expecting that to sound cooler." He stopped and stared at the portal ahead of them in disgust. "Yeesh, it looks like it's infected." Danny would have to agree. The portal wasn't lust a clean shape into the ghost zone; it was outlined with a black crust, branching out into this dimension. It almost pulsated, growled, moaned… It's border shook and cracked, making the whole world around them vibrate, pieces of what looked like reality burned black and then chipped away like old paint. Danny thumbed the handle of the thermos around his waist. Just seeing the portal made him feel sick. He shook his head and snagged the thermos, typing in the sequence to reverse the polarity. He looked at the others, who were all wincing at every noise the portal made and activated the thermos.

Danny suddenly stopped, and right before the thermos turned off the fabric of reality, as good a guess as Danny could come up with, shook violently.

"Why did you stop?" Wulf asked. Danny pieced it together. These portals weren't naturally occurring. They were open wounds, something was eating at the fabric between dimensions. He put his thermos back and tapped the Fenton Phone in his ear.

"Clockwork! Can you see this?" The group stared at Danny furiously gesturing towards the hole in space. There was a buzz in his ear. "Yes, what have you found out?" Danny went up to wolf and gestured next to the hole.

"I need you to rip a portal next to that one. Don't be too close to it though." Wulf nodded and clawed his way through the fabric of space. Danny's eyes widened before his brows furrowed.

"Are you guys seeing this?" He waved his hand between the starkly different portals. One, the clean cut by Wulf's claws, the other shivering, with crusty black gunk spreading out like a vein. Sam covered her mouth. "Clockwork, something is infecting these portals. I don't know if closing them up will do any good. It'll just…" Danny stopped and stared at Vlad "Get worse." They needed to clean out the infection. You have to clean out the infected parts of a wound first before healing it. Otherwise the infection will just grow, eventually damaging the skin. Just like Vlad and Danny with their core, just covering it instead of letting it out. "These things are going to consume both our worlds it we don't clean them out." He looked at Vlad, then at the others expecting them to think he was insane. Instead there was concern, but trust.

"How do we heal a concept?" Tucker thought out loud. They all turned to him and his eyes lit up. "Danny, you said something's infecting these portals right?" Danny nodded "So, if they are infected, and the fabric of space is like skin. He snagged a little notebook from his pocket and started scribbling. "And you and Vlad have both attributes of this zone and the Ghost Zone…" He zoned out, plotting. something. "We can clean out the portal's infection by burning or freezing it. Lie you would cauterize a large incision or freeze off a wart!" He shoved the crude drawings of the rips and infections between the zones at the group.

"That is both disgusting and awesome at the same time." Sam mused. "So we treat the 'fabric' between us like skin. And we sew these suckers up." Wulf nodded, and Vlad tilted his head.

"But that, children is merely first aide." That earned him a few glares, making his smirk a little bigger. Danny's eyes narrowed.

"Unfortunately he's right." He growled. "We need to find the source of what's causing this and stop it."


	6. Chapter 6

The First-Aide, as Vlad called it, was harder than it sounded and it took longer than any would have liked. But, with the combined effort of fire, ice, and ecto-energy being used to burn off the flakey gunk, it was effective. Tucker joked calling the group the white blood cell squad. Quite the mouthful and it annoyed most of the group, aside from Wulf. Danny figured Wulf could tune certain frequencies out; there was no way he was enjoying the horrible puns and team names coming from Tucker.

"This is the weirdest damn thing we've ever done. Period. End of story. Cleaning infected tears in space." Sam mused "I still don't know how this is working." she scoffed "we're shooting lasers at a quantum physics equivalent of puss off of an immeasurable slice between dimensions!" She wiped her forehead, and playfully stuck her tongue out at Danny's laughing. "And not only are we succeeding in this, we're actually in contact with a… freaking," She flailed trying to find a good term, "TIME LORD! That lives in the dimension on the other side of the tear, and yet this is still our actual definition of 'normal.'" She powered down the ecto-laser.

"Thanks for the exposition, Sam." Danny snorted "Okay, let's see if this puppy closes without throwing a hissy fit."

"Shouldn't it be a kitten then?" Tucker prodded only to get a Tabit in the face.

"No." Tabit barked. Danny scanned the tear and saw that all of the gunk was gone, no longer forcefully crackling outward from the tear, and hopefully the portal won't lose it's crackers when it closes up. Danny took out the thermos, and aimed.

The bright light erupted from the lid shooting towards the now, normal looking portal, it closed with a sparkle of white light and nothing more.

"That's three of the big ones around town, and five medium ones." Tucker marked something down in his tablet. "All that's left are the little ones, and aren't nearly as bad right now. So now, we can look for that source." Danny nodded

"Frostbite, are there any other big ones nearby?" The bud in his ear frizzled a bit.

"No longer. There are a few under-developed scattered around you, but most are now in areas where your world has no high population, and are developing slowly." Frostbite responded.

"Okay, we're heading your way." Danny nodded towards Wulf, whom promptly huffed in the direction of the, now gone, infected portal. He clawed through and Danny picked up his two friends before they all went into the ghost zone. Danny stole a glance behind him to make sure Wulf's portal closed. When the tiny beam of light flashed, revealing now marks, he turned focused on getting to Clockwork's tower. They all entered and started their next phase.

"Okay, so," Tucker took the forefront accepting the Infamap from Frostbite and letting it stretch out, "I've charted the reports of the largest tears we've found. The main three are pretty far off from each other." He took out his notebook and scanned through his notes. Danny looked over his shoulder at all of his marks.

"It looks like the infection, or whatever, is spreading outwards, so we can use that." Tucker looked up at the Infamap.

"Yeah, we can plot the trajectory, but we'll have to wait and watch." Tucker added

"Pretty risky on our part to do that." Vlad added. Danny glanced up at him then focused on Tucker's notes.

"Hey, wait a minute." He spotted a pattern. "These are all rotating and moving slowly away from some source." He pointed out the slight difference between Tucker's oldest notes and the position the tears are now. "I've seen this pattern." He looked up, putting his hand to his chin. "Or something similar." Danny went to Sam's backpack and pulled out one of their text books. Dejected he set it aside and pulled out their collected notes to study for the next semester. "Here!" Sam ran up to him, and saw the page he was on.

"Okay, so you're going to have to explain yourself a little, Danny. I don't follow." Danny grinned.

"It's like ripples in a pond!" The group nearly jumped as Danny snagged Tucker's notebook and scanned the map. "These things are all moving away from the source just like the theory of relativity! This is basically connecting the physics behind both universes! It isn't an alternate dimension like I thought, just sort of connected, but it's like a sister dimension! You know how awesome this is?!"

"Yeah, you make that whole shtick sound riveting." Sam retorted sarcastically. Danny looked up with a huge grin.

"It's WAY simpler than finding the center of our universe, if we even have one!" Oh, great, here we go again. Sam thought. He's excited. "If this is right. If I'm right, we can chart exactly where the source is just by following the age of the portal tears." Danny scanned the map between the three large ones. "Those little ones are just debris. They'll fade away over time if we can just cut off this source!"

"You're rambling dude." Tucker interrupted Danny's labyrinthine ramblings of quantum mechanics and theories. The kid was going a million miles an hour where no one could understand what he was saying. Save for Clockwork, who found the whole thing hilarious.

"We can age these portals by how much of the infection there is! What if the infection starts out as something different? A big normal looking portal, that anyone can fly through, but it effects them in a way that they become increasingly violent?" He looked at Vlad. "YOU flew one of those portals that night!" He left it as vague as possible; there was no time for the accusations, nor for the man to explain what had happened, to the others. "It must have been the cause behind your core acting up!"

"Danny, could you do us all a huge favor and CALM DOWN!" Sam snagged him by the back of his uniform. Tabit, finally coming out of it's hiding place in Tucker's hat. Sam sighed when Danny stopped talking.

"Danny does have plenty of evidence to back up his theory." Frostbite spoke calmly "However, there is much needed to be done, alongside the search for the source." He had a friendly smile on his face. "I suggest we split into teams. One team searches for the source, while the other captures the infected ghosts and closes the portals. There may be a way to bring them back from their state." He looked between Danny and Vlad. Danny about threw a snowball at him when he gave a little wink.

"I suggest Daniel, Tucker and Sam go find the source." Vlad started. "Now that we know how to handle the infection it should be done quickly." He looked to Frostbite and Wulf. "We will clean up the portals and become backup once finished." The two beasts nodded.

"I think I found the best area for the location." Tucker tapped the screen on his tablet, showing it to Wulf. "Can you take us there?" Wulf grinned and tore through, the three hopped into the condensed forests around Lake Eerie.

"Thanks Wulf!" Danny called before the portal shut.

"Are you able to hear us, Great One." Danny winced, still finding the label hilarious.

"Yes, you guys be careful." He was acknowledged and Danny turned to Sam and Tucker whom flashed a thumbs up. "Okay, Tuck. Where to?"

"I set up my tablet to scan the areas for remnants of the Ghost Zone, the more it goes nuts, the closer we are to the big bad." He waved his tablet back and forth.

"You still have your Wrist-ray Tucker?" Sam asked, adjusting her own, making sure she could aim correctly.

"Always." Tucker flashed his under his hoodie sleeve. "Probably should keep this over the clothes…" He mused before doing just that.

"Perfect accessory of pain." Danny recalled, Sam flashing him an amused grin. "You guys did get them updated like mom asked right?" They both nodded. The group trotted forward into the thick trees, Danny taking a peak above the tree line for any sign of unwanted ghost energy, periodically. His efforts however proved fruitless. He didn't want to fly too ahead of his friends.

"Any noise, Tuck?" Danny asked, walking with the other two. There hadn't been any sign of activity save a couple of regular ghosts avoiding the sunlight. It was getting darker.

"This does not bode well." Sam mentioned before sitting on a fallen log, taking off her boot. "And now my feet are numb." She grumbled in frustration, as she massaged feeling back through her ankles.

"Think we should find a place to set up camp, or keep looking?" Tucker flopped next to Sam. Danny remained hovering in the air, confused as to how there was no sign of any of the portals, or of the other team. While was focused on keeping within ear-shot of Sam and Tucker he hadn't noticed that the other team hadn't contacted them since the beginning of the search.

"I'm leaning more towards the keep looking option." Danny stated, he glanced around, feeling like something electric was in the air. Sam and Tucker were silent a moment before standing up.

"Tucker, try making it focus just on that type of gunk that hangs around the borders." Sam suggested straightening her jacket. A few beeps later and his tablet shrieked the alarm.

"Well that was convenient!" Sam shouted, covering her ears from the shriek. Tucker turned the alarm down and pointed it every which direction he could. The alarm changed while Tucker aimed it at Danny. Danny's heart dropped, but then he moved next to Tucker. It was still shrieking the same tone.

"Let's go!" They ran in that direction, the alarm growing louder with every step. However the siren, at it's loudest tone nearly deafening the group, suddenly cut off. The group skidded to a halt; only their hearts beating loudly in their heads.

The area was greyer than normal, still, like they walked into a painting from one of Lovecraft's stories. Everything just pasted into existence. None of the trio wanted to speak, they felt like their words wouldn't be able to leave their lips. Danny now understood the phrase dead silence. He took a step, expecting silence, but the leaves crunched under his foot and the world rippled lightly, like he stepped into a pond. Everything was devoid of color except the group's eyes as they walked through the silence, glancing around in awe. The further they went, the more the trees wilted away, leaving nothing but dust for the ground when they reached the center.

A small, dark orb floated, sending small ripples through the air as it bobbed slightly back and forth to it's own rhythm. Danny feels foolish as he approaches the orb, slightly reaching out towards it. This is what stupid people do in horror movies. He thought to himself before putting his hand down and simply stared at the orb, Tabit clinging to his shoulder. Sam and Tucker joined him, looking at the odd little thing as it bounced around like the steel ball in a bell. The ripples being sent out causing little tears in the monochrome.

This was the infection? A small sphere? Danny was irritated, this made no sense. He glared at the little thing, and grabbed it, stopping the ripples and sending color flashing back. The monochrome sucking itself back into the little sphere. Danny jumped back with a yelp and nearly dropped the small orb.

"What the heck?" Sam felt weird having words come out. "What IS that?" Danny glowered at the object feeling a sense of familiarity towards it. And angry familiarity, like knowing when something doesn't belong somewhere.

"I don't know." He paused, "But someone does." He glanced around the barren circle of, what he saw now was sand. "And we just turned their little toy off." He looked at Tabit, who was bristling at the orb in his open hand and clasped it shut. "Let's get a hold of the others. This thing isn't going to interrupt us anymore." Danny's heart skipped a beat. How did he know that?

"And how about we get out of here? This place is giving me the creeps." Tucker shuddered. It was black as pitch now, with hues of milky blue from the now exposed moon and green from Danny and Tabit's natural light. The wind rustled the empty branches not far from them, but no other noise was heard. No birds, or crickets; nothing. Danny held back his own shudder and nodded. Sam looked at his closed fist.

"That thing…" She gestured "has got to be like, a proto portal." They started walking slowly in the dark, Danny lighting the way with his energy focused on his free hand. "I don't think it's supposed to open that many portals at once." She looked at Danny's face, seeing his furrowed brows. "You know what it is, don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question. Danny glanced in her direction.

"Not exactly, but I think Clockwork does." He had venom in his tone.

"Even though he only controls time?" Tucker added. Danny nodded

"What if that wasn't always the case?" The others were silent at the thought. Did Clockwork oversee both time and space before? And a worse thought came into Danny's mind: what if Clockwork was keeping something important from them? It wasn't an unheard of action from the ghost, but this hardly seemed the time to keep secrets.


	7. Chapter 7

Danny still had a temper. The small stone in his hand searing into the skin was only making his patience thinner. The thing's heat increasing the moment he clasped his hand around it. He was seething by the time the groups met up so they could go to the ghost zone.

"Friend! Why so angry?" Wulf was the first to notice, but the others weren't too far behind; seeing the determination behind his vibrant eyes. Danny still had the small sphere, hot, and pulsing in his fist.

"If clockwork knows about this…" He growled, but didn't finish. Sam and Tucker calmed him down with touches on the shoulders, Tabit nuzzling him slightly. Wulf took the message and sliced through space into the Ghost Zone. Danny lifted his two friends and flew into the open doorway. Danny couldn't even get a word in.

"I feared this would come." Clockwork's voice was hoarse, his large figure humped at the back, facing away from Danny. "It can no longer be contained by the powers of the Observants or I." Danny was still seething.

"You knew." He growled. Clockwork faced him. "You knew it was this." Danny showed the orb, now white hot in his hands, pulsing a horrendous amount of heat from it. He closed his hand again, steam hissing through his fingers as he iced the orb again.

"I was afraid it was." Clockwork admitted. "Despite the powers from the ancients, myself included, it cannot be contained." He sighed hopelessly. Staring into an unknown place beyond Danny or the crew that helped the Ghost Zone stay in tact. Danny stood in front of him, the ghost still in his older form, far more hunched over, gaunt, and ghastly than Danny has ever seen him.

"What is this?" He held his closed fist in front of Clockwork. The ghost reached, out his gnarled fingers slightly shaking. Danny turned his hand and dropped the orb into Clockwork's old hands. The white heat, faded into a dark crystal, reflecting colors around it's edges.

"It is a rift of sorts." Clockwork explained, absently running his fingers over the smooth stone. He gripped Danny's hand and put the stone back into it, folding the boy's fingers around it. "It is as timeless as I, and far more unpredictable." Clockwork started.

"And you're pretty unpredictable." Danny snarled. Clockwork nodded, accepting Danny's anger.

"It was and is a sort of power source for dimensional travel." He looked to the others, all paying close attention to his words. "This story shall be scattered and confusing, but I need you to understand one thing in the end, Daniel." Danny stiffened. "This is all that remains of the one that had dominion over space; as I do over time." The air was still as Clockwork spun a tale of ancient powers.

"These worlds were always connected. Connected in a way that hardly a living thing could comprehend. Vast battles, horrid plagues, moments of angry men and women with too much left behind cast aside to make room for the living. This Zone, as it is referred to now, is a place of the remembered and forgotten. Creatures once seen as gods and myths reside here, but we are hardly more intelligent than humans, as they tend to believe. We also fall victim to the hunger of power, and none fell further than who you are holding, Daniel.

"They were strong, kept balance throughout both sides, and made sure they stayed as they should. No side was stronger than the other. However, despite their power, their mind had a weakness towards control. Stopping portals from forming, making others form in places they shouldn't have. They saw that they enjoyed reaping chaos, and nearly destroyed both worlds. Amidst the destruction, the one with dominion over space tried, with all their strength, to quell the anger of the two worlds they caused. In the end, the anger was only partially sealed, the keeper of space lost, their energies depleted in their attempt to right what was wronged. Tears would still appear, the worlds still aching with the desire to rip themselves apart. With all our powers, we combined the energy of time and patience to keep the stone's overwhelming anger sealed away, but even now, we weren't strong enough." Clockwork looked sadly upon the stone in Danny's hands. Danny held up the stone and gazed into it's dark blue luster. "The chaos inside that stone is hardly contained, and there is nothing I can do to stop it." Danny noticed something, he hid the stone away from Clockwork. Suddenly the ghost's form changed into his younger self and Danny's eyes widened.

"You've been fighting it back this entire time?" Sam came up to be beside Danny. Clockwork nodded his face barren of any emotion.

"My ageless friend, why did you not speak of this before?" Frostbite stood next to Clockwork, clawed hand on his shoulder. "We could have helped you keep this contained. Clockwork smiled and closed his eyes shaking his head.

"I know everything that happens in time, but with space, I cannot see the outcome."

"You had us go after it though." Danny snarled, "You could have warned us."

"That I could have, but with the knowledge you have now, would you even try to touch that stone?" Clockwork was testing him. He was always testing him. Danny should be used to this.

"I would have." He glared, challenging Clockwork right back. The ghost smirked. Danny started hating that expression. "That why you suggested us to go after it?" Danny flashed his eyes towards Vlad. "Were you two planning this?!" Vlad shared the same smirk as Clockwork. Danny felt like a play thing. His rage boiling.

"Unfortunately, we only partially planned this." Clockwork's grin was gone. "You are proving to be quite the combination."

"I have half a mind to smash this stone in on your head, Plasmius." Danny snarled, quieting the chuckles coming from the old man.

"Which half, Daniel? The ghost or the human?"

"Pick one." Danny grumbled, but turned to Clockwork "Combination of what?" He demanded.

"Both worlds, young man." Vlad answered. Danny shot an impatient look "You haven't noticed?" He sneered. Danny gripped the stone tighter. "You're controlling it, boy." Vlad had a horrible amount of spite in his tone making Danny shrink back. "It wasn't the portals that awakened my core. It was the stone. That very stone you are keeping from incinerating both worlds." Danny opened his hand and saw the dancing of fire and ice inside the now brilliant white stone. He glared at it and looked up to the two ghosts that conspired against him. He heaved an angry sigh and closed his fist around the stone, still glaring.

"Well, it's over now apparently." He mocked, shooting a glance at Frostbite whom nodded silently. "Wulf, I'd like to take my friends home." He walked away from the others as Wulf ripped a portal home. He shot one last venomous glare towards Vlad and Clockwork before lifting up his friends and leaping through the portal.

"Danny." Sam finally said after Danny transformed back, sat on the steps of his front porch and rand a hand through his hair, staring, unblinking at the asphalt ahead of him. She hummed lightly and sat next to Danny, Tucker sitting on the opposite side. The orb was still in Danny's hand, white knuckled, nails digging into his palm. The air was chilled, the breeze coming from the north, white clouds in the night sky lit up by the lights of the city. Snow was gently fluttering around the group and Danny shuddered. Tabit curled up in Danny's lap and sniffed at his closed hand.

"Is it bad?" Tabit asked, making Danny jump a little. He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't think so." Danny couldn't really focus on anything else, he was in between feeling betrayed, used, and made fun of.

"Even after all that garbage we went through?" Tucker's tone was quiet, but he was definitely concerned as to why Danny didn't think the stone was dangerous.

"I don't know." Danny groaned, looking at the calm surface of the stone, it still pulsating between a dark grey to an off white, still shimmering in multiple colors. "Why'd we have to go through so much garbage if Clockwork already had some control over this dumb thing?" He grumbled.

"Maybe, you…" Tucker stopped "Or, most likely you were his last hope." Tucker finished, looking over his notes of all the portals. "Vlad couldn't control it, but you can." Danny looked up at his best friend. Who gave him an incredulous look "Oh, come on, you didn't see that jealousy when he told you you were handling that rage in there?" Tucker pointed at the small stone. Danny wanted to ignore the reasons. He wanted to stay mad at them. They could have handled that way better. He could have helped early on for crying out loud. Why keep it to themselves!? His expression was dark and gloomy, Tabit rubbing it's whiskers into Danny's free hand. I thought I was the only one that needed to learn that lesson… He slumped dejectedly. He at least figured out why he felt betrayed; Clockwork basically hammered it into Danny's head that being the 'lone hero' was unhealthy, he wasn't nearly as bad as Sam and Jazz in that department, but he was still among the ranks.

"Feels great when your supposed 'teacher' does exactly the opposite of what he's been telling you." Danny huffed. "I expect Vlad to be a dingus about everything, but this is just a whole new level." He rolling the stone around his palm and stared into nothingness. "Guess I should be used to random powers being thrown at me." He grumbled looking into the sky wondering if it was him making it snow.

"We're going to stay the night." Sam stood up and went to the door.

"We are?" Tucker turned, watching Sam open the front door blinking. "Okay, I guess we are." Tucker stood up and helped Danny to his feet.

"Don't tell me you actually have a change of clothes with you." Danny scoffed. Sam wiggled her shoulders, making the little spider legs on her backpack dance about.

"I always have a change of clothes Danny. Know how many times we've been splashed with ectoplasm?" She continued inside and up the stairs. "I already talked to your mom about this. She's cool with it." Danny gawked

"When'd you do that!?" he quizzed running up the stairs to catch up. Tucker merely closed the front door and sauntered up the stairs. "She's still in the pocket dimension!" Sam laughed

"You were having such a grand ol time snarling at Clockwork and Vlad you didn't even notice Wulf, Tucker and I going into said pocket dimension and send everybody back home." Danny looked at Tucker wide-eyed. His best friend smiled and shrugged.

"You got tunnel vision when you're that pissed, my man." Tucker stated. Danny blinked and bolted down the stairs into the kitchen where his family was waiting.

"Oh, hey, you finally noticed us!" His father teased.

"You guys are okay!" Danny tackled his family, making them laugh.

"We where only gone for a short while, Danny." His mother ran her hand through his hair. "You were the one gone for a long time." Danny blinked up at his mother, then at Jazz who winked. He was confused as ever, but didn't care. Everyone was safe. Even if he was mad at a couple of them.

"Dinner will be ready in a bit." Jazz announced "I'm making veggie pizza! Found a neat lil' recipe online!" She beamed. Okay, now Danny had more questions, but he would save them for Sam and Tucker. Jazz was having way too much fun bustling around the kitchen. Danny walked up the stairs and into his room to see Sam, Tucker, and Tabit lounging around his room. Tabit finding the best spot being inside one of Danny's jackets on the head of his bed.

"Okay." Danny closed the door behind him and put his fists on his hips. "Explain please." Tabit made a squeaky laughing noise.

"Well, Danny, while you were listening to Clockwork's story time, Sam and I thought it'd be a good time to get everyone back. So, Wulf ripped a portal, we gathered the like, five people exposed to the nasty, and sent them home. Lucky us, they were all paranormal investigators, the majority being your family." Danny sat on the floor slightly astonished.

"Only five people? Those things where showing up everywhere." Sam gave Danny a sad smile.

"Vlad, Wulf and Frostbite took care of them very well." She said slowly, knowing Danny was still angry. He huffed out an angry breath and looked away glowering. His expression softened as Tabit left Danny's hoodie and came up to his face.

"Phantom did good too." Tabit smiled "Phantom made anger feel better. Anger not hurting. Phantom helped it." Danny tilted his head at Tabit, then glanced at the small sphere, pulsing in his hand. His conflicted feelings fighting in his head just annoyed him and he rested his free hand on his cheek, leaning on his crossed leg.

"Thanks, Tabit." He felt pretty half-hearted about the whole thing, but he appreciated Tabit's comforting words. He flopped backwards on his floor with a grunt. "Hurray for things just getting weirder."

"At least that portal part is over." Tucker laughed.

"Thank god for that," Sam growled "I couldn't take any more of your stupid puns."

"I second that." Danny raised his hand only to drop it on his face. There was a moment of stillness "I don't think it's over, though." He admitted out loud. "Even when I said it at Clockwork's tower, I didn't believe it. I saw their faces. They're still keeping things from me." something promptly plopped on Danny's stomach, "Oof! Guessing that's Tabit."

"You guessed correctly, sir." Tucker responded. "You going to ask them?" Danny groaned pathetically.

"I don't know. I feel like asking them will just prove that they don't trust me." He scoffed "Well, I know Vlad doesn't, but it's Clockwork that I'm more annoyed with."

"You established that, dear Danny." Sam stated, hanging off his bed. "Why are you so annoyed with the riddle talking secret keeping Clockwork? This is normal." She paused "For the most part."

"He told me he trusted me a long time ago, it was WAY after the whole…" He stopped, scrunching his face up in disgust "Future me being a dick thing, but…" Danny removed his arm from his face. "He still said it, and he just keeps doing this stuff to me." He waved his clenched hand around, the stone still pulsing inside. "I'm just a kid to him aren't I?" The realization smacked him so hard his gut wrenched. He basically still is a kid. "He's totally babying me!" He sat up in a flash, sending a startled Tabit into Sam's arms.

"Oh, by god. Danny." Tucker snorted at the sound of his own voice being so high pitched in excitement "He's totally adopted you as his ghost kid." He stopped and waved his hand a little "eh, more of a nephew, but dude!" He starts laughing. "It makes sense! He's like letting you in the shallow end to see how you handle it!"

"This is the shallow end?!" Danny revealed the stone, now glowing a little brighter. He clasped his hand shut and lowered his hand. "Time and space being ripped apart is the shallow end-!" He glared at Tucker, then started mentally kicking himself. That actually made sense…

"You've got to admit, we've been through things just as crazy." Tucker shrugged.

"Okay, that's enough presumptions guys. Chill." Sam huffed. "Tucker," She smacked the back of his head "You're not helping." Danny fell back again, this time smacking his head hard on purpose. He let out an annoyed noise similar to a bark.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow, I'm still miffed…" He grumbled.

"Okay, Danny." Sam laughed lightly.


	8. Chapter 8

"So," Danny crossed his arms with a disapproving grumble "You mean to tell me, Vlad wanted this to be kept secret because he thought he could handle it, even though you yourself said your powers couldn't contain it, and you STILL kept it secret despite the fact that my family and my friends from both worlds got involved in this mess?" He glowered at the lack of response from Clockwork. "And you were doing this for Vlad because…?" He gestured out his arms queuing Clockwork to finish the sentence. Clockwork floated in front of the impatient teenager, eyes unwavering.

"He wished to take on that burden instead of you." He answered, unblinking. Danny was incredulous.

"So he was on a power trip again…?" Danny's voice was monotone "This is basically Pariah's the ring all over again." He waved his hands up in frustration "So, why did he even tell me any of this stuff? He could have avoided me entirely like he usually does. Then, ta-da! No me butting in and grabbing what he wants blah blah blah." Danny was on the verge of another tangent, and Clockwork had been getting an earful from the half-ghost since he arrived at the tower. Patient as he was, Danny was not, and Clockwork being so quiet only made Danny want to scream running face first into a pool. "He obviously didn't like it that I could calm the dumb thing down, and he could have just TOLD us where it was instead of making us search for it all night, and you guys could have cleaned up this whole mess without me being involved at all, so why!?" Danny's voice raised at the last word. He stared Clockwork down. "Why the heck did you and Vlad think this was such a great opportunity to test me with this-" He pulled out the little stone sphere and let it wobble freely in the air beside him "nonsense?" He calmed down and flopped on the floor again. He still glared at Clockwork, and was glad Tabit decided to go goof off somewhere else in the tower. "Seems a bit excessive, and confusing… and annoying… and stupid." He spat. Clockwork laughed making Danny narrow his eyes and pout.

"Welcome to the complications of power, Daniel." Danny fell backwards growling at Clockwork's insistence on using riddles and vague answers.

"You're never going to tell me anything are you?" Danny mumbled sorely "And you!" His arm flailed in a vague direction behind him. "Stop being creepy! I know you're there, Plasmius!" Danny stayed splayed on the floor before Vlad looked down on him with an unimpressed look. Danny promptly stuck his tongue out at the older halfa and blew an obnoxious raspberry at him.

"Aren't you a little old to be behaving in such a way?" Vlad chided

"Aren't you a little late trying to convince me to behave around you?" Danny countered. "You are such a good role model after all. Hey! Maybe I can have this random all powerful thing break on me and send YOU to fix the damn thing with no prior knowledge! That sounds like a great bonding experience." Danny's filter was gone at this point and he didn't care. "I can keep secrets from you too. Never let you in on any important information. See how you like it!" He snarled.

"Daniel, stop it." Vlad barked

"Why? Not like we trust each other or anything." Danny had a venomous tone as he looked between both older ghosts, making Clockwork shake his head. Danny got up. "I'll just leave this stupid little explosion here, and get out of your hair for the rest of eternity. Not like you're going to tell me anything only until after mortal danger is involved!"

"Daniel!" Vlad's voice boomed, Danny turned to face Vlad, both glaring challenges at each other. "That's enough." Danny didn't speak, but was nearly bursting at the seams from frustration.

"Daniel…" Clockwork said cautiously, when Danny turned to Clockwork he froze. The orb was pulsing, white hot, small cracks were forming around the smooth material. Both half ghosts stopped their glaring match and the pulsing slowed down. Danny's instincts kicked in and he grabbed the stone, flinching at the heat, and cooled the air around himself and the stone. It flinched and fluttered, the cracks finally starting to fade. Danny let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. It was silent for quite some time. The breezes forming from the temperature changes ruffling Danny's hair as he watched the swirling of fire and ice balance each other out. A hand on his shoulder made him flinch; his chest contorting in resentment, knowing who was there.

"You are right, Daniel." Vlad's voice was low and soft. Something very out of character. "We should have trusted you more with the information we had." Vlad snatched his hand away, making Danny jump facing the other halfa wide-eyed. Vlad was warming his hand. Danny felt his cheeks flush.

"Ah, uh-mm sorry!" He stuttered, clutching the small stone. He almost laughed at the fact he literally gave Vlad the cold shoulder.

"I can see you do not yet know what power you hold, Daniel." Clockwork came between them and opened his hand. "May I see the stone?" Danny nodded and placed the stone. Clockwork instructed both halfas to access their core and reach towards the stone, but not to touch it. The stone lit up, pulsing softly with ice and fire. It finally clicked, and Danny didn't like the conclusion. Both Vlad and Danny had control over the sphere, or, more likely, their powers calmed it's rage, as Clockwork called it. Danny lowered his hand, and Vlad followed suit, the stone now bobbing slightly back and forth to it's own rhythm.

"You both have a sort of empathy." Clockwork confirmed Danny's annoying conclusion. "Both of you can feel each other's anger, and in turn, each other's peace." Clockwork looked at both of them a moment. Danny could see he was looking at Clockwork in teacher mode. Mr. Lancer had a similar air about him whenever he was determined to help Danny. "Plasmius, you have used your anger as energy for your core; while Danny, you have used peace as energy for yours." Danny had to take a moment. Peace? Sure he hadn't mastered it, but he was almost always calm and focused when using his ice powers. He had to be. He would hurt someone he loved if he didn't. He looked at the stone bobbing almost playfully.

"So…" Danny started "We," he gestured between him and Vlad "keep this thing from blowing up?" Clockwork nodded

"In a sense." Was the ghost's response. Danny glanced at the stone "If there is not balance between you two, it will be unstable." Danny scoffed

"Balance between the boy and I?" Vlad had a similar tone to Danny's disbelieving noise.

"Not possible." Danny growled, Clockwork chuckled.

"You are in agreement now, and look." He held his hand under the stone. "The stone is content."

"So why was it reacting to me being angry with fire when I'm obviously ice?" Danny huffed his confusion. Clockwork looked at him with a terrifying expression.

"It wasn't reacting to _your_ anger." Clockwork looked to Vlad, who took a step back in shock. Danny felt his stomach sink, then knot up in confusion.

"So, when I…" he pointed to his hand, forming an ice crystal "with that-!" His eyes widened and cheeks flushed furiously. "It was-!" He couldn't even finish it. He calmed Vlad's anger down?! Clockwork gave Danny his trademark 'right answer' grin. Danny reeled "Hah! Great! This makes total sense. Good. I'm happy about this. You happy about this?" He gestured to Vlad "I bet this is making your day!" He looked at Clockwork before his stress levels hit the roof "Can I go home now?" He whined as he melted to the floor, covering his throbbing head. He could hear Vlad chuckling, of course that masochist would enjoy this. Danny would have to keep from making Vlad pissed? That was against everything he was used to, and what if that meant Danny needed to babysit the man, so he doesn't lose his temper? While his mind was going a million miles a second he hadn't realized that the stone was cracking.

"Daniel!" Vlad stood him up, making him yelp. "Calm down." Danny blinked and shook his head. The floor was glimmering with ice along with anything that was near him.

"Well," Danny groaned "Now we know what sets _me_ off." He put his hands to his face and shook his head. Well this is just fantastic… "We had this stupid weather matching emotion bull roar already, can we just skip this one?" Danny grumbled.

"No skipping out on this one. It'll just follow you." Clockwork stated.

"Why me?!" The boy hissed, his patience was long gone, and Clockwork had the patience of a saint, combined with someone that knows and sees everything in time. Danny added to his own thoughts.

"Why would something so hurt and angry and boiling like someone that's cool, and collected," Danny snorted "and despite his attitude at the moment, has immense patience?" Danny scoffed

"I have NO patience." The boy snorted "Especially right now with you two." He gestured wildly. Vlad slapped his forehead with his hand. Now he understood why the boy couldn't stand getting information from Clockwork; the ghost never gave him any.

"Of course you don't" Clockwork smiled "I know."

"You know everything." Danny mocked nasally "I get it."

"Daniel, since someone loves speaking in riddles…" Vlad gave Clockwork an unimpressed glance "I'll explain it." Danny huffed, crossed his arms and waited.

"Okay, how are YOU going to make me figure stuff out on my own?" His eyebrow raised.

"You're patient with that stone as you are patient with that one," He gestured at Tabit squeaking at and chasing another ghost. "with helping others, with protecting your home. Despite everything that has happened to you, you still protect anything that you can, no matter what the thing you're trying to protect does to you." Vlad's form was stoic, arms crossed as well, looking at Daniel sternly.

"That's because I'm stubborn." Danny argued. Vlad rolled his eyes

"No denying that." Vlad shrugged. "The stone is just as stubborn as you then. It picked you. You're stuck with it."

"Whyyyy though…" Danny elongated the question.

"Because you're cool." Clockwork stated. Both halfas gave him impatient and unamused scowls.

"That was horrible. I'm annoyed, done and ready to go home." Danny looked at the stone, still bouncing slightly and groaned. "If it follows me it follows me." He huffed "and you!" he pointed at Tabit who flew right into his face. "Quit picking on the little ghosts we're going home." Tabit nodded and Danny turned

"One more thing, Daniel." Vlad interrupted

"Uggh! What!?" Danny hissed impatiently "I said my patience is non-existent here." He looked over his shoulder to Vlad.

"Take care of yourself." He looked at the stone as it went over to Danny who had a shocked and confused expression over his face.

"Yeah…" Danny hesitated "You too." Danny took off towards home. Few weeks passed before Danny got into the habit of checking the stone to make sure it wasn't too hot, taking care of Tabit, which was fairly easy despite the creature's habit of finding odd places to perch, including on teacher's heads or burrowing in his hood or Tucker's hat if it was available, and going to school. Tabit did have an unfortunate habit of not paying attention and running into everything, then trying to attack whatever it ran into, in this case it would be Dash.

"Tabit! Would you stop squeaking already? He's not going to kill you I promise!" Danny snagged Tabit out of the air before the creature dive bombed towards Dash Baxter who was in between geeking and flailing in fear of the weirdly sharp toothed, long clawed ghost thing that looked really cute a moment ago.

"New friend?" Dash squeaked, hiding behind his arm. Danny sighed in relief that he caught Tabit it time, but flicked his little friend in the forehead.

"Retract the claws…" Danny ordered, but Tabit kept hissing at Dash, hackles raised. "Now." He barked. Tabit grunted and went back to being fluffy and cute, it's eyes however stayed sharp. "Tabit." Danny warned, but rolled his eyes and floated down, pretty much ignoring Dash staring, not even moving from his rather awkward defensive position.

"You've got a thingie following you." Dash stated quietly.

"I'm aware." Danny glanced behind him to the little glowing stone bouncing back and forth, he reached out to it and it came into his hand. He offered it to Dash.

"Wh-what?" The older teen stuttered, Danny was still distracted with Tabit, but looked Dash in the eye.

"It's safe. I was just holding it with a ghost power, blah blah, I'm on my way to meet someone to talk about it." Danny explained, well kind of explained, the stone acts on its own, but didn't seem to mind Dash. The older teen tentatively reached out and gripped the stone, cold to the touch.

"Whoa," Dash stared at the object as it sparkled in the morning light. "What is it?" Danny was oh-so-tempted to tell him it was a ghost dragon booger, but decided against it and did his usual vague truth answer.

"It's a little ghost stone." He grinned wickedly "It's a bit unstable though. Might explode." Dash let out a yelp and tossed the stone away from him. Danny snickered, catching the stone.

"Phantom mean! It not explode." Tabit fussed, clinging to Danny's back. "Phantom keep it from doing bad." Dash gaped at the creature who talked.

"Keep it from doing bad?" Dash had a suspicious expression. Danny tried his best not to laugh at how pale is old bully was.

"Yup." He playfully tossed the stone "It likes me and a couple of other ghosts, so it's not really trouble."

"It LIKES you? What is it? Alive or something?" Dash had a disturbed look on his face

"Kinda. It just keeps things from falling apart." Why was Danny even telling Dash all this? Danny shook his head to focus "Anyway, I need to jet, but first: Tabit." Danny's tone was scarily similar to his mom's whenever anyone was caught doing something wrong. "Apologize to Dash." Tabit let out a loud protesting mewl. "That's enough of that." Danny lectured. "You don't go attacking things you bump into when you're not paying attention." He pointed to Dash, who was blinking in confusion

"THAT was that thing?" He must have realized the bump on the back of his head was Tabit's doing. Tabit hissed only to get a flick on the ear from Danny.

"Tabit sorry." It grumbled and went back to clinging to Danny's back away from Dash. Danny sighed and shrugged.

"Later, human." Danny saluted at Dash and took off, turning invisible again once he was in the air. "See why I told you to stay up here?" Danny glanced back at a grumbling Tabit.

"Bleh." Tabit fussed, picking up the word from being around mainly teenagers. Danny laughed a little.

"You'll get to play around when we visit Clockwork later, okay?" Danny felt like he was turning into a dad by the way he was treating Tabit. He scrunched his nose as the thought passed his mind. Eh, maybe more of an uncle. He decided.

"When we get to Pink?" Tabit asked, flying around in circles around Danny.

"Soon, bug." Danny replied, catching himself giving a nickname to Tabit. "oops, meant Tabit." He corrected. "There's the big house Pink lives in" He gestured downwards to Vlad's mansion in Amity Park.

"Pink has two big houses, yes?" Tabit asked as they slowly descended to the building.

"Yup." Danny confirmed. They phased through most of the house until they reached the main hall. And then Danny put his hands to his face and shouted obnoxiously "HEY VLAAAAAAD!" and annoyed growl came from the library.

"Daniel, don't shout." He grumbled. "Good afternoon." Danny transformed back into his human half and Tabit flew about excitedly.

"Pink's turn! Pink's turn! Little stone is too cold!" the stone almost darted into Vlad's hands making him jump slightly.

"Indeed." He said with a small smile. "You handling yourself well, I take it?" He looked to Danny, who saw mild concern, which was weird. Vlad never looked concerned towards Danny, unless it was faked last time he checked. He gave the older man a suspicious look.

"So far." He grunted. "Hopefully you handle babysitting and mayor-ing at the same time."

"That's not a word, Daniel." Clad corrected, letting the stone follow him instead of carrying it. Danny made a mocking expression signaling his lack of caring.

"Anyway," he growled "have fun." He was almost ready to transform to Phantom when Vlad suddenly spun around.

"Daniel." He barked. "You're far too pale." He had that concern again. Danny rolled his eyes.

"I'm always pale, Vlad. I'm a ghost." He had an impatient tone to match his furrowed brows.

I'm sick, so if this chapter doesn't make sense. Great! I'm so out of it pfft-!

I'm three days behind in NaNo!


	9. Chapter 9

Ch 9

"That's no excuse Daniel. I've seen you far better off than you are now." Danny let out a groan.

"You only point this stuff out NOW because of the risk the stone will go all wonk. It won't. I'm fine. Chill. I'm going now." Danny barked, turning away, putting his hand to his head like he was brushing away his bangs, as he checked how hot his forehead was. Vlad pretended he didn't notice, but when the boy bonked into part of the wall his face fell into malcontent.

"You saw nothing!" Danny spun around hissing. He went ghost and took off, Tabit giggling in tow.

"You, stop giggling." Danny demanded impatiently. Tabit covered his muzzle with his paws, but the giggling was still coming out. Danny harrumphed in annoyed embarrassment. They made it home and Danny flew straight into his room and flopped on his bed, uncharacteristically out of breath. (holy beans that's a big word…) 'Vlad's just putting stupid ideas in my head' Danny groaned into his blankets. Tabit bumped Danny's shoulder with it's head.

"Phantom weird." Tabit snuffed. Danny lifted his head and looked at Tabit with a confused glare. "Phantom get so cold, Phantom get hot. Weird." Danny blinked.

"Oh, don't you side with Pink." Danny snorted, not in the mood to be lectured by his somewhat enemy and then his familiar. "I'm fine." He buried his face in his blankets again.

"Obviously not." Tucker's voice made Danny flail out of bed with a yelp.

"Holy-! Tuck!?" Danny had a sloppy defensive stance and quite the hilarious expression. "Sam?!" His friends snickered and Tuck came up, patting Danny on the shoulder.

"Good job, my man. Now go sit on the bed and we can see if you can name the other people in your house." Tucker's sarcasm was lost on Danny, still reeling from the sudden rush of confused adrenalin. "Dude." Tucker waved his hand in front of Danny's face, making him flinch.

"I'm gonna side with Pink there too pal." Sam came up to him and sat him down to check his forehead. "Hah! You're on fire." Her statement was lackluster.

"And not in the impressive way." Tucker hooted earning a glare from the slightly flushed teen.

"Not funny, Tuck." He grumbled. "I can't be sick." He crossed his arms and looked away from his friends, pouting indignantly.

"Yeah, I bet you can be. Last time I saw you like this we shared the suffering." Tucker laughed. It was pretty rare to see Danny under the weather, but when he got under, he really got under. And, by the looks of it, he was fighting it off tooth and nail, which means he's probably close to the delirious, I'm gonna be stubborn until I pass out stage. Tucker nodded to himself seeing Danny's glazed over, but still stern expression.

"I'm gonna get Doctor Mom!" He sung, darting out of the room, laughing at Danny's angry protests. He came back with Maddie to find Sam winning a wrestling match with the stubborn teen to get him into bed. Looks like she managed to get him into his pajamas too. Tucker used to be surprised by that, but when he found out how easy it was to force Danny into his PJ's when he was tired, but stubborn, he deemed it as the norm with his best friend.

"Daniel James Fenton." His mother had her arms crossed "You're pale as the dead and as red across your face as a radish. What have you been doing?" Danny sunk under his mother's disapproving gaze.

"He's been walking around the cold without a jacket, not taking care of himself and ignoring a cold." Sam answered for him earning herself a very poor attempt at a glare. Maddie's form drooped, expecting such an answer.

"Danny, I know you go out to patrol the city, and I know you're doing this to keep others safe, but you have to make the right decisions to keep yourself safe as well. You can't protect others while you're hurt or sick." Danny knew this speech by heart by now, but he also figured that since he's half ghost he shouldn't have to worry too much about his human half getting damage just from flying around in the winter.

"Yeah…" His voice was scratchy and his face suddenly became sore "sorry." He was apologizing to everyone in the room. Sam rolled her eyes and snagged a blanket from the corner of his room to wrap around Danny's shoulders.

"We can take over patrol for a bit, Danny." She said quietly. Maddie came up and felt her sons forehead.

"You're burning up, sweetie." Worry etched across her face. "How are you feeling?" Danny wanted to say he was fine, but the trio of would-be doctors were past the point of letting him get away with being active. He grumbled bitterly.

"Dizzy." He stated plainly "and stuffy I guess." He shrugged, fighting the urge to cough when a tickle sprang up his throat. His mother ruffled his hair lovingly.

"Don't fight it anymore sweetie, I'll get you some cold medicine, you should get some sleep." Her tone was soft, but stern.

"I'm not tired." Danny protested.

"No arguing young man. Sleep." She didn't miss a beat, and left the door open behind her. "Sam, Tucker, you can stay, but I'd prefer if you went home so you don't catch this too." They both gave Danny that look. The look saying 'don't be stupid, Danny or we'll kick your butt' and left.

"Tabit, make sure Danny doesn't leave." Sam ordered, Tabit appeared in front of her and nuzzled her cheek

"Tabit no get sick. Tabit help Phantom feel better." He went over to Danny and wrapped itself around his neck. "Tabit be scarf." Danny snorted.

"Good job Tabit." Sam beamed, gave Danny the look again and left. Danny heard his friends say goodbye to his parents and the front door close. He grumbled, tilting his head back on the soft fluff of his familiar.

"I can't really sleep with you like that." He pointed out, Tabit merely nuzzled under his chin.

"Tabit can squish, it not hurt Tabit." It puffed out a bit of hot air and Danny stared wide-eyed.

"You can heat up like Vlad, er Pink?" Tabit purred a little

"Tabit help Phantom. Tabit know what make Phantom feel better as long as Phantom let it." It's response was calm and content. Danny's face relaxed into a smile, then his mother came in with some medicine.

"What a cute stuffed animal." She commented making Danny jump slightly. Tabit was visible. "Sam give it to you?" Danny shrugged a little.

"It was just kind of a random gift." He sort of lied. Tabit did seem like a gift at this moment, the heat slowly radiating from it was very soothing. Maddie handed her son the medicine and watched him take it with a smile at the lack of arguing. Danny took a deep breath as soon as he realized he was shaking.

"Now sleep my stubborn young man. The world can keep safe on her own tonight." She gave him a wink and left the room. Danny rolled his eyes playfully, she always said something like that when Danny was sick or harmed since he was tiny. Tabit began purring and Danny carefully lay down, trying his best not to hurt Tabit, despite Tabit telling him he could be squished. He quickly fell asleep only to fall into a terrifying scene.

The little stone orb bobbed slowly back and forth, pulsing and swirling different colors. The air around it rancid, old, decaying and heavy. Breathing became a chore with every breath; like acid pouring into the lungs, sand paper scratching the insides of the throat. Angry red and orange flashes of light darting around like sparks caught in a whirl wind, and Danny was in the middle of it all. Hardly able to move, hardly able to breathe, the boy only inched closer to the bobbing orb as it danced in time with the sparks.

"Danny!" a warm hand shook his shoulders until his eyes shot open in confusion.

"Jazz?" He nearly bolted out of bed, but Jazz held him down.

"Easy, little brother." She coaxed. "I'm guessing you were having a nightmare." Danny settled down and his sister sat on the edge of his bed to check his temperature. She hummed thoughtfully "Still pretty toasty."

"Do I need some butter?" Danny joked, Jazz shot him an unimpressed and annoyed look.

"Wow, you are sick." She mused, she scratched under Tabit's cheek, who was curled up on Danny's chest.

"No kidding Jazz." Danny yawned, giving up on fighting back everything.

"Gonna ask about your thrashing in horror there Danny." Jazz pressed. Danny stroked Tabit's back absently.

"Thrashing, huh?" He was completely out of it, Jazz concluded.

"Yeah, remember your nightmare?" Danny yawned again, then suddenly burst into a coughing fit making Tabit fly off, startled.

"Not really." He grumbled "Something about the stone going bonkers I think." He wiped his mouth and settled down again with a groan.

"The stone you said you were giving to Vlad?" Jazz gave him a suspicious look. He raised his hands in defense.

"I gave it to him. I gave it to him. Cool your jets." Danny rolled over, covering his face with his blanket.

"How'd the stone go bonkers?" Jazz asked patiently.

"Kinda super hot, and angry, it was nothing like it is now. Super colorful and springy."

"Springy?" Jazz listened intently

"It was bouncing and stuff." Danny mumbled, already falling asleep. Jazz contemplated to herself for a moment but stopped when soft snores came from her brother. She shook her head and left her brother to get the rest he needed.

Meanwhile at Vlad's mansion the stone was bobbing back and forth impatiently, a blue glow swelling and pulsing inside it as Vlad studied it's patterns carefully. It was similar to a heartbeat, thudding gently as it bounced to and fro. It was curious to say the least, but no harm seemed to be caused by its actions. Vlad spread out his attention to other projects, paperwork, handling some politics, but still had an eye out for the stone. It's pulsing and bobbing were content for the most part, sometimes flashing a little with the blue light.

Vlad's day went by quickly, but without too much trouble, the sun settling in the west casting a warm glow into his study. It was busy, but productive, he'd seemed to be a lot more at peace than his past self. He stared absently at the fireplace, watching snow gently flutter down from his roof as a cool breeze picked up. There was an odd sense of calm about Vlad, but he wasn't going to question it too much. He enjoyed the momentary peace until the stone, bobbing to its own melody suddenly flashed angrily. Vlad bolted upright and faced the stone. It was swinging back and forth like an angry wasp. It's angry flares had a green tint to it and a crack formed as frost suddenly stretched across its surface. The stone shattered. Vlad transformed and bolted out of his home heading where his ghost sense lead. He spotted two glowing forms crossing each other in battle, a familiar green light bursting from one of the figures. He approached, quickly picking up the heated argument.

"You're one of us! You should understand!" The unfamiliar ghost hissed through four sharp fangs too big for its mouth.

"I'm also one of THEM!" Daniel angrily gestured towards a small group of people cowering beneath the battle. The group consisted of the young man's friends and three children. "You can't go around taking kids from their homes! Are you crazy!?"

"I'm hungry! They're scared! I feed on fear!" The persistence of the unfamiliar specter was only met with Daniel's horrible glare.

"Go to a horror movie marathon then!" He growled "Plenty of fear there!" Danny's expression was unnerving. He looked almost hungry. Danny snarled at the attempted argument from the unfamiliar ghost, eyes blazing. Vlad took note on how the young ghosts fangs were coming in quite nicely. Danny's eyes flicked to Vlad's presence, but his attention quickly focused back on his opponent. "Get out of here before I rip you apart." He spat. Vlad noticed someone was missing from Danny's shoulder. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw a limp creature tucked into Foley's hat cradled by the young man. He looked back to Danny, who was shaking horribly. The fear eater made a move to attack Danny, but the boy snarled, baring his fangs; he was ready to keep his word. The ghost recognized the blood lust and bolted, hissing indignantly at the boy. Danny kept his stance until the ghost was out of site, then bolted towards his the group. Vlad landed nearby, waiting for a more opportune moment to confront Daniel.

"Has Tabit moved?!" Daniel was frantic. He turned to the kids "Are you guys okay?" The children, clinging to the other two young adults nodded apprehensively. Sam came closer to Danny, the two younger kids clinging to her jacket. She held his shoulder and spoke softly to him. Vlad couldn't pick up the words, but Daniel nodded in understanding. Sam nodded towards the child hiding behind Tucker and they joined the other two. Tucker came up to Danny, offering his hat and the limp creature to him. Sam must be taking the children home. Vlad studied the girl and spotted the Fenton wrist ray strapped securely on her arm. He nodded to himself glad she was able to fend for herself, and went to Daniel. The boy was facing away from him, Tucker looking at him with a forlorn expression. Vlad heard small hiccups coming from Daniel, watching his shoulders shake. Danny spun around to face Vlad, still in defensive mode, but his expression fell from the horrid death glare. He looked down towards Tabit cradled in his arm. It's eyes were open, blinking and it's flipper-like paws clung to Daniel's free hand. Relief found its way through Vlad, but it was short lived as Danny clutched at his chest, holding his breath.

"Stop holding it in dude!" Tucker barked "Just cough!" He had an impatient tone to his demand. Daniel grunted angrily, ignoring Vlad's hand on his shoulder. The boy was freezing. Tucker had a conflicted expression on his face as he looked at Vlad. He seemed to have come to a decision. "Get him out of here." Tucker had determination etched across his face. Danny straightened up to protest but faltered, caught by Tucker and Vlad. Tabit squeaked uncomfortably.

"Phantom sick!" It barked "Too cold!" Too cold? Tucker looked up at the older halfa with a scowl, but Vlad saw the desperation. So, Tucker pieced it all together and knew about Vlad's connection with Danny.

"I will take him." Vlad answered, scooping up the struggling hero.

"Put me down!" Danny's bark came out slurred, a lone tear finding its way down his left cheek. No no no! Letting Tabit get hurt was bad enough, scaring those kids was even worse, now this?! No! Danny's struggles were in vain, however. He spent his energy fighting off that ghost, still tasting the ectoplasm in his mouth. His stomach wrenched and he flailed weakly.

"Hush, boy." Vlad's voice was wobbly, distant. No NO! Danny shook his head, I'm not passing out! No! He felt Tabit fidget in his arms. His leg and side began to ache and he moaned involuntarily. Squeezing his eyes shut, a shudder racked through him. Danny's breath hitched, a burning feeling in his side, he felt a pulsing in the air, throbbing in his head. "Daniel." Vlad's voice was calm, but concerned. Danny whimpered in response, he felt himself go limp in Vlad's arms. Tabit leaving his loosened embrace and nuzzling under his chin.

"Took so much!" It whined "Tabit hurt Phantom…" It shook as it rubbed it's face on Danny's cheek.

Author's Notes:

This is probably all rubbish, but I'm keeping it because reasons. -shrugs- Thanks for reading 3


	10. Chapter 10

Daniel had no idea how strong his bond with Tabit was. The boy, now human in Vlad's arms, exposed to the bitter cold in nothing but his pajamas, was still, feverish and limp. He finally got inside his secluded mansion in the mountains and set the boy down on the couch by the fire. He forced his hand to lift the thin shirt, exposing the mark on Daniel's side. He glanced towards Tabit who nodded holding its paws to its muzzle nervously. The boy took Tabit's injuries to himself. Tabit flipped it's flipper-like tail and gently pointed its muzzle at Danny's leg. A similar mark was found there as well. Vlad shook his head and went to work treating the burns. When finished, he snagged a blanket and bundled the boy up. Tabit burrowed inside the blanket and curled up on Danny's chest, radiating heat. After nerve wracking moments of stillness went by, Danny started fidgeting and relief came over Vlad when the boy shivered. A sign that his body was working to warm up against the hypothermia Vlad suspected Daniel was going through.

The ghost boy coughed hoarsely, eyes fluttering a little, but he wouldn't wake. Not yet at least. It seemed he really had spent every last drop of energy he had defending his friends and those children. Vlad watched the boy from his perch near the fireplace and then went back to his paper work. Danny squirmed under the heated blanket letting out pained moans. Vlad couldn't do much about Danny's cold, but his wounds from the exchange with Tabit healed quickly. Most likely due to Tabit itself being there, healing it's partner. Vlad delved more into the lore of familiars and how connected they could be to their partners. It was a legend among ghosts, hardly documented, but Clockwork lended a hand with what he knew about them. The ageless ghost was enough help for Vlad to gain an understanding of Daniel and Tabit. Their bond was 'pure' as Clockwork would say. A mutual respect between them it seemed. Familiars were meant to heal and protect their partners, and out of all the research he had done he found Daniel wasn't the only one to care deeply for his familiar. This was all legend though, so not much of the information was credible.

A cough came from the couch again and Danny sat up with a grunt, he held his head a moment and flopped back down on the soft pillow Vlad placed beneath him. The world was spinning and his whole body throbbed. He felt like he was in between a freezer and a furnace.

"You're looking much better." The phrase was all too familiar coming from that voice and Danny winced. "Comparatively anyways." There was the snark Danny was waiting for. Danny covered his eyes with his arm and grunted. A small nibble on his hand gained his attention and he looked at Tabit's upset face.

"No take Tabit's hurt! Tabit take Phantom's hurt!" It grumbled. "Tabit's job. Not Phantom's." Danny's expression fell.

"I don't want you to take my hurt…" He coughed a bit, his voice irritating his throat. Tabit shook its head and bit at Danny's hand again.

"Tabit heal faster than Phantom." It barked chomping down hard on Danny's hand, tears soaking its fur. Danny flinched, but held still. When Tabit let go Danny stroked it's neck

"Sorry." Danny said softly, Tabit huffed and curled up as Danny stroked its fur. A thousand thoughts barreled through his head. The memory of him giving into rage made him curl up tighter, he could still taste the combination of blood and ectoplasm in his mouth. He got nailed pretty good. He felt sick, and covered his face again.

"I was ready to tear a ghost to pieces like a rabid animal." He growled "what the hell…" Vlad chuckled, earning a scowl from the younger halfa.

"Sounds to me like you're connecting rather well with your familiar." He didn't look up from his papers.

"Explain." Danny drawled, obviously expecting another lesson like speech from Vlad.

"It's said that a familiar and it's partner will begin sharing certain attributes and with your fangs growing in quite nicely, I say you're becoming a bit more feral."

"Fangs?!" Danny licked the tip of his teeth only to slap a hand over his mouth in shock. "Why do I have fangs!?" His question muffled by his hand.

"I believe I just answered that." Vlad grinned revealing his own fangs and laughing at Danny's aghast expression. "You're sharing your power with Tabit, and Tabit is sharing it's with yours. That's the whole point of familiars, or what legends say…" he paused "vaguely."

"My favorite." Danny grumbled, sitting up slower this time. "Vague exposition." _That no one will understand because I'm terrible at this bwahaha! [coughs]_ Vlad yawned a little and glanced at his watch.

"Your mother's going to kill us." He sighed, Danny shot up, took note of how flipping cold it was in his pajamas and snagged the blanket.

"Meaning she's going to kill _**me**_!" He sneezed and grunted indignantly "ugh, if this cold doesn't get to me first." He flung off the blanket and transformed again only to curl up in a shivering ball. "Ack!"

"Change back you idiot." Vlad huffed. Danny scowled at the man but did as he was told.

"I'm not an idiot!" He barked, standing up, wavering, then scowling again; he was hardly intimidating, but he'd try his hardest anyways.

"By how you're acting right now I'd say idiot is the right term." Vlad raised an irritated eyebrow and went back to his desk and picked up the phone. "Has he arrived yet? Yes. Yes, good. Send him in." Danny gave Vlad a suspicious look that only lasted a few seconds before he was tackled to the ground, yelping. He became a bit overwhelmed but with the cacophony of insults and accusations he picked out three familiar voices scorning him.

"Told you we could handle it but noooooo." That was Sam.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Danny laughed as she playfully beat on his shoulder.

"I was only expecting Mr. Foley, but this is just as well." Danny caught the comment amidst the noises he and the others were making.

"Tabit! You're okay too!" Jazz ruffled the top of it's head happily. "I heard from Sam you two took such a horrible beating." She flicked him on the forehead.

"Hey ow!"

"You dummy." Jazz sighed "And Vlad! I have a bone to pick with you." She stood up and went to the mayor, who looked like he was expecting this. What the heck happened while he was out? How _long_ was he even out!?


	11. Chapter 11

"Dude, you gotta tell me what was going on with that fight! You have fangs!" Tucker went right to Danny's face forcing his mouth open "When did this happen?" Danny quickly slapped Tucker's hands away and wiped his mouth

"Personal space, Tuck." He snapped "and I don't know!" He flailed hopelessly "I just woke up, got a whole lot of exposition dumped on me about familiars and got tackled by three people yelling at me for being an idiot after Mr. Mayor over there just called me one!" Tucker and Sam burst out laughing.

"You look like you should-" Tucker stopped short as a blanket dropped on Danny's head. "Yeah, that." Danny was expecting an angry sister dragging him out of the mayor's place, but she seemed to be having a decent conversation. Which was obnoxious.

"Gonna fill me in on the awkwardly calm conversation over there or am I just going to have to figure you two are conspiring against me?" Danny hollered over to them.

"We're conspiring against you." Came Jazz's quick response.

"Har." Danny mocked

"She an I have been studying the effects of our powers dear boy." Vlad chimed in "We've come to an agreement that we're both as unstable as the stone." Danny scoffed

"When the heck were you going to let me in on this!?" He bickered, Jazz made a face at him.

"Oh come on, you know as much as I do that we're the last two people you'd actually pay attention to." She put her hands on her hips "You'd just glare at Vlad suspecting him of something the entire time." Her face fell into an unimpressed scowl "Kind of like you're doing right now." She snapped her fingers to get Danny to look at her again.

"Old habits die hard." Danny growled. "And since when are you so chummy!?" He gestured madly. Jazz rolled her eyes and gave off a vibe that she was just going to tell him.

"Since I found out you need him or you'll freeze to death." She stated. Danny gaped mouth open like a cod fish. "And he needs you or he'll burn up." She finished. Danny's eyes widened and his heart leapt to his throat in panic.

"The stone!" He cried "Where is it?!" His legs wobbled as he tried to stand, and Tucker helped him up.

"You broke it, dumbass." Jazz huffed.

"I WHAT?!" Danny shrieked making Tucker cover his ear. Vlad held his hands up.

"More like the energy moved from the stone to us. The stone was merely a vessel. And, it seems it was meant as a temporary one." He explained ignoring Danny's panic.

"Yeah, okay, that makes TOTAL sense!" Danny stood up straight.

"Dude, you've been out of commish for four days. Chill." Tucker sighed hopelessly

"FOUR DAYS?!" Tucker covered his ears again at Danny's shrieking. Tabit came up to Danny and nudged his cheek with it's muzzle.

"Phantom calm. Phantom still heal. Stay warm." Tabit seemed sleepy, and suddenly Danny's heart rate slowed down and he felt calmer.

"Whoa…" He mused "You can do that?" He grinned and patted Tabit "Running into you was the best thing to happen this whole situation." He glanced up at the group looking at him. He felt his face flush. "You gonna stare all day or…?" Tucker laughed and slapped his hand on Danny's shoulder.

"You always were a sucker for cute fluffy things." He laughed, dodging an elbow

"Shut up." Sam wrapped the blanket around his shoulders as Tabit made itself home in Danny's arms.

"Come on Danny, we've got a lot more exposition for you." She grinned at his discouraged moan and the three teens settled on the couch; Sam and Tucker at Danny's sides relatively close. Despite the close quarters and a little water heater in his arms he still felt like he was in a meat freezer.

"Before we get into the meat of things." Vlad started, Danny grinned despite himself, but it faded into a confused scowl as Vlad lifted his hand towards Danny's face. Danny was about to protest when he felt his right shoulder squeezed gently by Sam. He relaxed a little but shrunk back as Vlad closed his eyes and a pulse of energy went straight into him and for an instant everything went white. His eyes felt like they were molten until he blinked.

"The heck-?" He started but stopped at the realization. He felt warm, not just a little warmer, but cozy, like he'd been sitting in front of a huge fire with his dad, a hot cup of cocoa bundled in his hands. He blinked again.

"That was me warming you up." Vlad answered sitting in the chair across from the couch. "Similar to what you did to cool off the stone." Danny remained quiet, giving his undivided attention to Vlad and his sister as they explained the purpose of the stone. They explained that the stone acted as a reservoir of energies. It's purpose, they're guessing, was to store energy, but it was also used to give energy. When it was used by the unnamed powerful ghost Clockwork mentioned, it seemed the ghost planned on dispersing the energy, but, instead of just absorbing the shift and tears in space the stone absorbed the ghost as well. Without anyone to disperse the energy, the stone kept absorbing energy until it became overwhelmed, thus creating the infected portals between worlds. The stone shattered because Danny and Vlad were using it to an extent that it was no longer needed. The energy of the tears and the unnamed ghost were split evenly between both Danny and Vlad.

"You mean that ghost is…" Danny clutched at his shirt. Jazz shook her head.

"All we know is that energy can't be created or destroyed." She paused

"Only change form." Danny finished. He looked down at the snoozing creature in his lap. "So me getting super cold is just a side effect?" He looked up. Vlad nodded.

"From what we can guess, the energy split between us amplified our powers to an extent that it is affecting our human side. We'll need to practice more control." He leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands thoughtfully.

"What about mom and dad…" Danny's question trailed off

"They still don't know." Jazz answered. "Tucker and Sam came up with a story that they kidnapped you as soon as you were feeling better to take you on a mini break. Mom and Dad were in the lab all night and most of the morning, and I told them you were fine. Just overworked. Mom was a little difficult to convince, but Dad totally flipped at the idea of you guys spending time with V-Man over there." Danny buried his face in Tabit's fur, getting a little purr for a response.

"We have to see each other more than either would care for, Daniel." Vlad's eyes were digging into Danny's "Otherwise, we'll be overwhelmed by our own powers. So," He shrugged "We'll consider the times we need to meet as an excellent time to vent out any aggression." Danny glowered in response

"Oh goody." An excuse to let out any animosity towards a grouchy old man that was responsible for 80% of his ghost problems? Excellent, however, he knew if Vlad got overwhelmed like Danny was… Danny would have to calm him down. There's always a catch… Danny sneezed loudly and sniffled indignantly. He pulled the blanket around him, despite feeling warmer than he had in weeks.

"Danny?" Sam noticed his quiet thinking, he perked up and offered a small smile. "What's wrong?" He took in a deep breath and looked at the group as they watched expectantly. The swirling feeling in his gut settled deeply in his stomach.

"I don't think…" He stopped and looked at Vlad and Jazz, I think something's up. He wanted to say, but there was already so much happening he didn't know if he was just over thinking. He shrugged. "C-can I freshen up please?" He stood up, a little less wobbly than before. Tucker stood with him and slung a bag over his shoulder. Vlad nodded and directed the two to a hugely extravagant, ridiculously decorated bathroom. Danny looked at Tucker, a little confused as to why he was joining him.

"I'm making sure you don't pass out in the shower." Tucker winked and lifted the bag "Change of clothes too."

"Shower nothing, I'm taking a bath." Danny huffed making his best friend laugh. "What the heck is with this man? He has a couch in his bathroom." Danny glanced around, seeing that despite the gaudy decorations, detailed carvings on the sink and walls, it was a fairly empty room. Danny rolled up the blanket and looked at Tucker.

"Wouldn't happen to have essentials in there would ya?" He tried, Tucker dug through the bag and handed Danny what he needed.

"Your sister…" He shook his head "She's scary sometimes." He scratched his head making Danny laugh.

"Prepared for anything." He shrugged. Tucker flopped on the couch while Danny set up the bath. He had a little feeling of cold regret before diving into the warm water.

"Dude you're COVERED!" Tucker had a horrified look on his face. Danny raised an eyebrow

"I'm the opposite actually, what the heck you talking about?" Tucker shook his head.

"Bruises, man." He flinched as Danny looked himself over. "It's been a while since I've seen you this beat up…" Tucker saw the scars across Danny's chest and shoulders and scrunched his nose up at the memory of learning how to sew a ghost back together, solidifying his decision to study in nursing school once he graduated.

"Tuck, you're staring." Tucker blinked out of his reminiscing and he sighed a bit bowing his head. Danny looked at the crooked scar across his collar bone and then back to Tucker, who still looked away from Danny with a scowl on his face. Danny made a face. "Scowl a little more, Tucker. You might actually burn a hole in the floor." He meant to sound a little more light hearted, but his tone was more sad than anything.

"Sorry, Danny." Tucker looked at his best friend as he scrubbed his hair. "Still feel like I should do more." Danny laughed a little.

"Join the club, dude." He dunked his head under the water and rinsed his hair out. "But, you don't need to do more." He rubbed his face. He could feel Tucker's unconvinced stare. "I'm serious, Tucker." He huffed looking his best friend in the eyes. They were all guilty of pushing themselves a little too far.

"Well," Tucker stood up and stretched, "You look like you won't pass out on me. I'll give you some privacy."

"That's a first." Danny snorted, rinsing himself off, almost tempted to just lay the the water.

"Oh, never mind on the privacy bit." He heard Tucker's voice and tuned to see Sam.

"This has got to stop being a normal thing for you guys." Danny grumbled. Sam shrugged, patting Tucker's shoulder as he waved, leaving the two, closing the door behind him.

"Can't be helped, Danny. We're basically your doctors." Danny leaned on his knees and watched Sam sit next to the tub. He shrugged but flinched at a protest from his shoulder. Well, at least his nerves were waking up.

"Tucker's still beating himself up." He stared ahead. "I don't know why though. I'm pretty sure I'd be dead if he wasn't there, same with you." He rested his chin on his knees. Sam took this as an opportunity to wash Danny's scar ridden back. He flinched a little at her touch, but relaxed.

"He thinks like you do, Danny." She poured water over his shoulders "Always trying to find a way to do better." She smiled "You're basically twins." Danny closed his eyes and hummed thoughtfully.

"What happened while I was out?" He decided to ask. "I mean it's kinda silly to take a sick person out on holiday." Sam shook her head.

"Eh, your mom and dad were busy the entire first day, and Jazz pretty much moved back in to watch over you. She told them she could handle you while they worked on their big project." She played with his hair a little. Danny turned his head in her direction, still resting on his knees.

"I should probably tell them eventually." He said, mainly to himself. Sam shrugged with a smiled saying they probably already know. Danny chuckled a bit.

"When you were attacked a while ago, that was Vlad wasn't it?" Danny tensed up at Sam's question. It was more of a statement than anything. He sighed.

"Yeah, he lost it like I did." Sam nodded in understanding. "I managed to cool him off." He chuckled "Literally I guess." He was a little amazed at how quickly he was just… accepting all of this, but he'd either accept it or just keep driving himself insane. Tabit suddenly flew into his face making him flail in the large tub, effectively splashing Sam.

"Phantom hurry up." Tabit flew around, splashing a bit in the water. "Pink and Jazzy is boring."

"Jazzy?" Danny laughed. "I'm not going to have a private moment ever again." He wanted to act annoyed, but it was pretty normal. Sam got up and threw a towel Danny's way who caught it before it got in the water and covered himself as Tabit perched on his shoulder.

"You will not." Sam snickered.


	12. Chapter 12

After a few silent moments; Danny drying off and getting dressed, casually brushing Tabit aside so he could actually put clothes on. Sam chatted idly while watching her friend with amusement. She stopped though, shooting a hard stare towards the door. Danny took note and looked up at Sam, quieting Tabit's squeaks.

"Sam?" He stopped, there was something in the air. He managed to get his clothes on, maneuvering around Tabit, and he joined Sam at the door. "Sam." He said softly. She turned to him with a conflicted look. Suddenly the lights went out.

"I think we should get to the others." She stated, and they sprinted back to the library. The air was vibrating, Jazz was behind Vlad and Tucker spotted Sam and Danny.

"Something weird is going on." His voice trailed off as he looked to where Vlad was standing. Danny slowly approached him.

"Vlad?"

"Shh! All of you." Vlad's harsh whisper sent electricity up Danny's spine. He crept up closer to see that Vlad was staring at the entrance way. His muscles tensed as he watched the fog creep in from outside. Vlad held his arm out in front of Danny. "Something is unhappy." Tabit bristled on Danny's shoulder as the ground shook. _Hide._ The sudden instinct made him jump. He grabbed Vlad's arm and pulled him back. "Daniel, what-?" He hissed, but Danny's stare made him stop and follow. Danny was pretty sure his eyes were green at that moment, it would explain how everyone was suddenly near the two half-ghosts. He didn't move his gaze from the entryway as he backed up, pulling Vlad with him, Tabit hissing quietly.

"We don't belong here." Danny's voice was hardly audible, but Vlad must have gotten the message. Vlad closed the door to the room and the rejoined the group, huddled around each other. He didn't see it before, but the world outside Vlad's mansion was grey, foggy and grave.

"Vlad." Danny started "Where are we?" He kept his eyes on the door, unblinking.

"We're not in Kansas anymore." Tucker stated quietly. There was a high pitched hiss coming from outside.

"We gotta hide." Danny looked at Vlad, and the group collectively huddled into a small alcove hidden by bookshelves. "What is this place Vlad?" Danny whispered. Vlad clutched the fabric on his shoulders and watched out from their hiding place.

"A private study of mine. Secluded, quiet…"

"Haunted…?" Danny finished raising an eyebrow, Vlad smirked

"A rumor or two might've spread." He scanned the area, or what he could see with the glow of the fireplace. "Seems we're getting a visit from the ancients." He looked down "Your senses have improved." Danny scoffed at the compliment.

"What ancients?!" He hissed.

"Guardian spirits in a way." Vlad's response was calm, and then the lights flickered on again. "They're more than happy to snack on a few frightened outsiders." He stepped out and straightened his shirt. "Fortunately we can sense their hostility." Danny, Sam, Tucker and Jazz came out of the alcove.

"What are they guarding?" Danny asked, still tense, feeling the animosity outside.

"The island." Vlad answered "The rumors speak of ancient island guardians that devour the lost and outlandish. Typical of a small community isolated from the outside world. I bought this island as per a request from a friend in the historical society. They wanted to keep the island safe from corporate development."

"How noble of you." Danny sneered "I'm guessing no one really has access to the island though." He grumbled

"On the contrary, it's actually a wild life preserve for the most part. Students studying architecture and wild life come here as well as tourists seeking the thrill of spending a night alone on the island. For a hefty fee of course." Vlad grinned at Danny's unimpressed face.

"You gonna call your new attraction Vlad's Haunted Island?" He spat, old habits really die hard… and really slowly.

"Danny." Jazz warned "He just saved your butt."  
"Yeah, after I saved his… Twice." He barked "I'm starting to regret that." His chest wrenched and he stooped over, feeling cold again. "Sorry." He managed "I'm sorry." Hisses from outside made Danny flinch away from the wall in fright. His heart thudding inside his chest.

"We all could probably use some voluntary sleep. Don't you think?" Tucker tried, Danny noticed they were all staring at the wall, carefully avoiding it.

"The trip up here was kind of a long one. And I could use some freshening up too." Jazz ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Vlad played the role of a good host, guiding each pair to their rooms. The group could never complain at the idea of having a buddy system. Tucker and Danny had one large room while Sam and Jazz had the other across the hall. Vlad's own room was a door down from Danny and Tucker's, the large bathroom sitting between them. Danny assumed Vlad has his own on the last door.

"This style doesn't fit Vlad at all…" Danny mused, looking at the detailed etchings on the window sill. The style was elegant and yet bland at the same time. Soft grey floors, dark grey walls with little detailed flowers on the lining, and a large black door looming over the open floor with the hugest bed Danny's ever seen on the opposite end of the room.

"Might have been the head honchos place before Vlad bought it." Tucker suggested as he flopped on the bed. Danny glanced out the window at the rolling fog, casting dancing forms and faces across the lake.

"Probably…" He stated watching the forms with a growing sense of dread. He chuckled hearing Tucker snoring away behind him. Danny's expression fell as he heard a soft wail in the distance, and he closed the drapes.

A shorter chapter, but I'm happy with it. Happy New Year everyone, or happy January 2nd to the other side of the planet. 3


	13. Chapter 13

"So, those rumors." Danny started the conversation slowly, finally able to catch Vlad after the oddly chaotic breakfast. "They could just be rumors to keep the kids from causing trouble." Vlad looked up as Danny tapped his plate with a fork, absently playing with the hash browns left over from earlier. He popped a little in his mouth waiting for Vlad's response. Vlad set his notes down and adjusted his wrist cuffs.

"That would be a preferred reason over the ancients, but it holds evidence behind the ancients being disturbed after the stone shattered." He fixed his reading glasses and gazed over his collection of odd occurrences. Danny left his plate and joined Vlad, glancing over the man's shoulders.

"You said they haven't really done anything lately, though." He reminded Vlad who silently acknowledged his point.

"Not to humans, Daniel. That's what is bothering me." A grumble of thunder caught the attention of the two.

"Danny," Sam came in with Tabit on her shoulder "This island is looking more and more like it came from a Lovecraft story." She settled next to him. "Something might be coming." Danny stretched his back and looked at Vlad.

"I'll investigate this time." He went over to his bag, sitting next to his chair, and flung it over his shoulders.

"No ghost powers, Daniel." Vlad warned "Any weakened spirit will leech onto you."

"I know I know." He scratched under Tabit's chin. "Take care of the grump, okay Tabit?" Tabit nodded

"Old ones are here. Phantom no bother them, okay?" Danny blinked at Tabit's request, but nodded.

"Try to be quiet around the abandoned towns if you come across them." Vlad added as Danny turned to leave.

"I won't bother the ancient crabs, I promise." Danny waved

"Practice your respect, there Danny." Sam called "Tucker's waiting for you at the gate."

"Okay, see you in a bit." Danny called back. The fog crawled about his ankles as he stepped onto the large courtyard heading towards Tucker. "Ready, Tuck?" He called as he approached

"As ready as I'll ever be." Tucker shrugged "Your sister's called; doing some research on the portal showing up around here with Frostbite. They think this place is all sacred." He pulled his backpack straps tighter and double checked his flashlight. "Pretty important island way back when." The duo started walking deeper into the fog.

"I've heard they've used this place for rituals of all sorts. Jazz pick up any evidence behind those?" Danny asked, hopping over a stone. Tucker took a Fenton phone out of his ear.

"Here ya go." He stumbled a bit but caught himself on a low hanging branch.

"Hey, sis." Danny greeted, carefully watching his step as they traversed the old stone path.

"Heya Danny!" She chirped "You and Vlad keeping from tearing apart the universe?"

"Haw haw, yes Jazz, we're both stable." Danny yawned, brushing a branch away from his face "What have you and Frostbite come up with with those rituals I told you about?" Tucker offered Danny a hand up as they scaled a small rock formation.

"Some pretty dark stuff. Rituals from offerings of plants to live sacrifices were preformed." Danny shuddered "It seems to me, and Frostbite, that the portal on that island, isn't to the ghost zone."

"Well that complicates things a bit." Danny pouted "We can't track it if that's the case."

"Not really." Jazz affirmed "Be careful out there Danny; who knows what actually lives on that island."

"Well, whoever they are: they don't mess with the ancients and they only come out at night. Pretty typical of your average horror movie monster." Danny had a grin on his face as he continued up the path with Tucker.

"Speaking of." Tucker paused, pointing to an old little bridge into one of the old towns. He pulled out their old map, courtesy of the historical society. "Braideth I think. The one with the scarecrow ancient, according to Vlad." Danny rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.

"We should be okay." The fog was thickening, covering their feet. "If Vlad's right we can just walk through without a problem. Jazz, we're going dark for a bit."

"Okay." There was a small beep in Danny's ear and he led the way, Tucker and him holding onto each others sleeves. The deathly silence fell as the two walked the main road, careful to not make eye contact with anything hiding out in the mist. Gradually, the whispers came, sending electricity down Danny's spine. Tucker grabbed his shoulder, making him stop.

Large golden eyes beamed out from the fog, blocking the path ahead of them. It's gaunt figure looming. Danny shot his head down, avoiding the gaze. Tucker mimicked Danny and they waited. That's all they really could do. Just wait. Vlad told them. Don't move, don't look into their eyes, and don't speak. Just wait. If they didn't… No one knew what would happen aside from bones being discovered weeks after a mysterious disappearance. The smell of decay came wafting towards them as the dark, deer skulled figure advanced. It bowed, slowly, creaking and cracking like wood in a fire to meet Danny's face. He clenched his eyes shut, hoping to anything out there that Tucker was doing the same. He felt a branch-like limb slide across his face and the cold, stank breath of the creature whispered around him. He breathed slowly, trying to fight back the panic and urge to go ghost. It felt like an eternity passed before a small, smooth surface connected with his forehead. And then, nothing. He opened one eye a crack and saw nothing but the white fog at his feet.

"Is it gone?" came a whisper next to him. He looked up and saw the path unblocked.

"Yeah." They both took one glance at each other then bolted out of the small town into the woods. Danny tapped the Fenton Phone twice sending the okay to talk again.

"Whoa, did you finish running a marathon or something?" Danny took a second and glanced back at the decrepit town below.

"Ancient." He answered breathlessly.

"You actually SAW one?!" She shrieked making Danny flinch "What was it like?"

"Like a horror movie." He deadpanned "It just kind of… stared."

"And tapped my forehead like a creep." Tucker said shivering.

"It tapped your forehead? With what?" Jazz was bouncing, Danny could tell.

"Couldn't tell ya Jazz, I was focusing on the inside of my eyelids at the moment." Danny pulled himself up the path and helped Tucker up. Whatever Sam sensed was coming sure was taking it's time. Danny shook his head and blinked at the large stone ahead. "Found one of those picture stones, Jazz."

"Take a picture!" She chirped excitedly. Danny did as he was told and saved the picture to transfer later.

"Got it." He pocketed his phone and studied the etchings. They were similar to the etchings in his and Tucker's room. "It looks like a bunch of garbled nonsense to me, but maybe you can get something out of it, Jazz. I'll send you the pic when we get back to the mansion."

"Okay." There was a pause "Frostbite wants to know if you see anything familiar." Danny studied closer and then noticed a faint reflection of blue and green light.

"It… It looks like the same stuff as the stone." He touched the surface "It's just as smooth too." Tucker crouched next to him and studied the object.

"It looks like labradorite." He mused "A feldspar mineral with triboluminescent properties."

"English please, Tuck." Danny pleaded. Tucker sat up

"A rock that's shiny and colorful." He chided playfully. "The geological area labradorite was first discovered in was Paul's Island, located near the town of Nain in Labrador, Canada." He added. "Little shiny rock trivia for you." He grinned. Danny rolled his eyes and ran his fingers over the etchings.

"It's almost exact." He observed quietly. "Only… The stone was a perfect, dark little sphere. This is such a light grey…"

"Wait…" Tucker interrupted "If that's true, that would mean the stone we found was made here." Tucker and Danny made eye contact.

"You mean to say that a stone made specifically to stop our worlds from tearing each other apart was made on this island?" Danny pointed down at the ground at his feet. Tucker shrugged hopelessly.

"We have to get back and tell Vlad." Danny stood up and froze, Tucker let out a small yelp and covered his mouth, as well as his eyes. Danny wasn't so quick and the golden spheres inside the deer skull's eye sockets bore into his own eyes mercilessly.


	14. Chapter 14

The stench of rot overwhelmed him, but he didn't dare move. Creaking and cracking branch sounds echoed as the ancient tilted its head to the side, staring Danny down. Another snapping sound cracked as the ancient looked at the drawing stone and pointed, scratching it's boney, branch like fingers across the smoothed surface.

Crack! The ancient looked back into Danny's face and pointed, almost touching Danny's eye. It's hands and arms creaked back down into its cloak and it straightened it's neck with two cracks, jerking with each sound. It crept closer and placed it's forehead against Danny's, it's lights pulsing, staring, and then.

Blink.

The fog was gently blown away by a small, cool breeze. Leaves danced around the ground; the trees creaking and groaning as they swayed to and fro against the wind. The sun shone down, warming the earth and melting some of the snow away. A small creek bubbled and sang in the distance. Tucker shielded his eyes from the sun's rays, looking for any sign of the scarecrow ancient, and was relieved to find nothing. It was short lived however as he saw Danny, stiff as a statue, in front of the drawing stone.

"Danny!" He shot up gripping his friend. He blinked and looked at Tucker.

"This place isn't good." Danny whispered horrified.

"What happened?" Tucker shook Danny a bit to get him out of this daze. Danny grabbed Tucker's wrists, face twisted with fear.

"They aren't protecting the island. They aren't here to keep this place safe." He looked to the town below "They're here to keep something from leaving." Tucker shuddered.

"Getting the heck out of here now is a good plan, yeah? Let's go." They bolted down the hill, sped through the town as silently as possible and burst through the main doors. Gasping desperately for breath.

"What on earth!?" Vlad rushed out of the library to see both boys clutching their knees.

"It's a prison!" Danny coughed "This place is a prison!" Vlad blinked. "There's something here, something big and angry and hungry!" He coughed up a bit and gasped, trying to control himself. "The-the stone. Was made… It was made here." He wiped his mouth not even caring if Vlad was taking him seriously. "We… we were wrong." He started breathing normally "The stone wasn't meant to be a reservoir. It was a punishment. We… we have this _things_ energy." He stood up straight. The anger Clockwork mentioned wasn't just the chaos caused by the keeper of space, it was something acting on its own. Something that worked with the Keeper, or maybe even _was_ the Keeper, and went rogue. That's what Danny could decipher from the images poured into his skull anyways.

"We have to get to Clockwork." Danny decided.

"What the heck happened?" Danny stared at Clockwork, who was half frozen by Danny's efforts. "You really gotta stop giving me riddles here, also my bad." He shrugged, meaning only to zap the ghost with a cold spell.

"Yes, your bad." Clockwork deadpanned "Care to let me go?" Danny crossed his arms

"Not really… but," He had some semblance of control over the ice and it faded away. "Please narrate, and for the love of all things holy, don't leave anything out." Clockwork adjusted one of his many watches and gave Danny an unimpressed scowl.

"I have nothing else to really narrate, Daniel. I've told you all I know." He wasn't as, there was a word for it, he was usually so strong held, all knowing, wise, calm, but right now? He seemed defeated. Hurt almost. Danny didn't like seeing that expression on anybody and now he's seen it on two of the strongest people he knew within a week. He dropped his shoulders and approached Clockwork.

"Who was the Keeper of Space?" Danny asked gently. Clockwork looked like he flinched at the question like he was expecting a punch to the gut.

"I knew them only for a moment or so." Clockwork started "time and space are their own beings." He smiled "Parallel beings to be exact, hardly meeting, but aware of the other." He looked at Daniel and then to Vlad "The moment time and space met was when the crystal was formed."

With a wave of his staff, Clockwork made one of his many screens flicker with light and a scene showed itself to Danny and Vlad.

Everything was swirling, ripping, scattering and forming at such a rate all of it was collapsing. There was an animosity in the air, a lust for power, anger and hunger. One being was fighting another version of themselves and it seemed like they were losing. The powerful destruction was being taken into the stone formed by the Keeper of space, but the anger, it was still there. Not until a large portal formed by the ancients and Clockwork, did the animosity cease. The Keeper of Space was lost within the stone. Their energy and power sucked out as well. It seemed accurate. It was, indeed the same power. The ancients sealed the stone with their own powers. Unable to contain it's power, and it was lost. Lost in time and space. And it was growing weaker.

"So…" Danny stood, staring at the now empty screen in Clockwork's tower. "It just, died? The seal, I mean." Clockwork nodded.

"That is all I know. I don't know what happened to the ancients to make them as they are now. They aren't within my power to see." Danny put his hand to his chin and hummed, trying to register everything. He reviewed all that he knew. One: the stone was a temporary solution to the destructive power released by the Space Keeper. Two: Danny and Vlad's powers were two forms of destruction that were amplified by the stone. Three: The stone broke. Four: Vlad and Danny now possess the destructive power in it's purest forms. Five: something is sealed away on the island Vlad owns by the ancients. Six: The ancients are guarding the island. Seven: The thing sealed away knows about Vlad and Danny. Eight: the thing on the island is hungry.

"I have a feeling Daniel is plotting something." Vlad had his arms crossed as he watched Danny, amused by the looks of it. Danny gave him a quick glance but went back to thinking. The thing on the island is now the only thing left of what used to be the Time Keeper, and the ancients know it. Also, what's with the ancients? Danny only met the scarecrow, but even in ghost standards that was weird. Why did it show him that vision? Did it somehow trust him? Danny looked up at Clockwork, waiting patiently in his child form. Clockwork already said he has no way of knowing what the ancients are doing, nor why they would act so weird, so asking him for more information would be fruitless. He looked at Vlad. Wasn't he doing research on the lore of the island?

"Vlad, did you find any legends of the ancients that told you how they usually are?" Vlad blinked at the inquiry.

"I believe so. We'd have to return to the island, however." Vlad responded coolly. He tilted his head, looking Danny over, probably trying to figure out what he was thinking. Danny looked back to Clockwork.

"Thank you for all your help, Clockwork." He bowed his head a little, and Clockwork grinned, returning the gesture.

"Good luck, Daniel." He gave a small wave as Danny flew off.

"Have any idea what he's up to?" Vlad asked with a deadpan expression. Clockwork shrugged with a grin making Vlad roll his eyes.

"Worth a try." He took off after Danny. They flew through the portal and were greeted by a startled looking Sam and Tucker.

"What's wrong?" Danny rushed up to his two best friends, gripping their hands. Sam smiled, a little shaken up, but she looked okay.

"Those… uh, ancients." She pointed up "One of them is looking for you I think." Danny blinked and looked up.

"What'd it look like?"

"It's scarecrow." Tucker answered quietly. Danny looked at Tucker, seeing the somewhat worried expression.

"Wait here." He looked at Vlad. "You too. I don't know if it'll like you." Vlad scowled but waited. Danny flew up and shuttered slightly. That animosity, the hunger from before was back. He heard a whining sob from outside and followed. The thick swirling fog was back, and with it, scarecrow. Danny came up to the scarecrow ancient; it's form relaxed, tall and gaunt.

"You, the guardians of the island and ancients of both worlds, let me help you." Danny was a little shocked at the sound of his voice. Calm, collected and deep. The scarecrow simply nodded and vanished, leaving Danny in a state of lone confusion. "I have no idea what just happened." He scratched the back of his neck before returning to the group in Vlad's lab.

"Danny! What-?" The question from Sam was cut short. "What the heck?" Danny blinked and shot her a confused frown.

"What?" He shrugged

"You. You're um…" She pointed at him. Danny looked at himself, saw nothing weird, turned his head, but didn't see anything behind him.

"What?" He demanded a little more impatiently.

"Your teeth are sharp!" Beamed Tabit, flying to his face "You look like me!" It grinned flashing its own pearly points. "Phantom stronger now! Phantom ready to fight! Did gangly ancient talk to you?" Danny tilted his head curiously.

"If you count nodding in response to me asking it to let me help, then sure. It talked…" Danny shrugged. Tabit flew about in little circles again and perched on Danny's shoulder.

"Phantom accepted ancient powers! Phantom one of them now!" It hooted happily. "Partner strong! Partner beat the angry hunger!" Danny looked at the group and saw Vlad had changed in appearance. His cloak was back, flowing and dark, like a shadow. His hair was a bit mussed but slicked back into a pony tail like he has in his human form, and his grin was wide and proud.

"What happened to you?" Danny asked, Tabit flying to its perch around his neck, nuzzling his right cheek.

"The connection it would seem." Vlad answered simply. "Since you gained acceptance from the ancients, it seems I did as well." Danny huffed in little humor remembering the connection formed between them both sort of taming the stone.

"Great, so about that research of yours…" Danny started

"Glad you brought that up." Vlad beamed making Danny rethink actually asking the man to teach him something. "I've found plenty of lore about them." Vlad practically dragged Danny, effectively dragging the other two with him, up to his private study. Luckily by now Sam and Tucker were used to random intangible flying to save, or cheat, time as Danny called it.

* * *

 _Well, this is just a weird story and I have no idea what it's about. Hope you're enjoying it though! Thanks for reading!_


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